North Korea has resumed its tactic of sending trash-filled balloons toward South Korea, with recent launches involving around 240 balloons. This action is described as a retaliation against South Korean activists sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets over the border. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported no hazardous substances in the balloons, which carried waste materials like paper and plastic bottles. In response, South Korea has intensified its psychological warfare by broadcasting propaganda messages and K-pop songs at the border. The balloon campaign has raised security concerns, especially after some balloons landed in the South Korean presidential compound in July. Relations between the two Koreas continue to deteriorate, exacerbated by North Korea's missile program and the growing military cooperation between South Korea and the United States.