North Korean trash balloons could pose bioterrorism threat, Seoul warns | NK News
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September 23, 2026Sep 23, 2026

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North Korean trash balloons could pose bioterrorism threat, Seoul warns

Head of disease control agency calls for stockpiling vaccines as DPRK launches balloons for second straight day

South Korea should stockpile vaccines for diseases like smallpox and anthrax due to the possibility that North Korean trash balloons could pose bioterrorism threats, the head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has warned, as Pyongyang launched balloons for a second straight day on Tuesday. 

“We are aware of the biological terrorism risk posed by these filth balloons, and we believe that it is crucial to stockpile vaccines,” KDCA chief Jee Young-mi said during the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee’s ministry audit on Monday.

She made the remarks in response to a question from New Reform