North Korea has intensified its propaganda war against South Korea by sending trash-carrying balloons across the border, with one landing at the South Korean presidential compound in downtown Seoul. This incident marks the first direct hit on this highly secured area, prompting the mobilization of South Korea's chemical, biological, and radiological response teams, which confirmed that the objects posed no danger or contamination. The balloon launches are seen as retaliation for South Korean activists sending anti-regime propaganda into North Korea. South Korean authorities have warned citizens not to touch any fallen balloons and to report them to military or police. The heightened tensions follow increased South Korean broadcasts of K-pop and other propaganda across the border. Analysts suggest that North Korea's balloon strategy may escalate if hazardous materials are included in future launches.