VOA新闻杂志2024--朝鲜向韩国放飞垃圾气球

North Korea Flies Trash Balloons over South

North Korea has flown hundreds of balloons carrying trash and manure¹ toward South Korea. The strange action led the South’s military to organize chemical and explosive response teams to recover objects in different parts of the country.

The balloons came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged his military scientists Monday to overcome a failed spy satellite launch. He said space-spying technology is important to counter U.S. and South Korean military activities, state media said Wednesday.

Kim also warned of “overwhelming actions” against South Korea over a recent military exercise near the Korean border. The military exercise took place hours before North Korea’s failed launch on Monday. In a speech Tuesday, Kim called the South Korean exercise a “direct military challenge” toward North Korea, North Korean state media said Wednesday.

South Korea’s top military leaders said North Korea has been flying large numbers of trash-carrying balloons toward the South since Tuesday night.

The South’s military said about 260 North Korean balloons were found in different parts of the country as of Wednesday afternoon. They were being recovered by the military and explosive clearance² teams. The military said the balloons only held trash and manure. So far, the military has found no human waste. It's told civilians³ not to touch any objects from the balloons and to report to the military or police after finding them.

South Korean officials said the balloons are in response to South Korean activists⁴ flying anti-North Korean propaganda papers across the border.

Kim Kang II is the North Korean Vice⁵ Defense⁶ Minister. He said in a statement the North was planning to spread “wastepaper and filth” over border areas and other parts of South Korea. He called the action a direct reaction to the spread of anti-North Korean messages by South Korean activists.

Kim Yo Jong is the North Korean leader’s powerful sister. On Wednesday, she said on state media the North was simply exercising its freedom of expression by sending the balloons. The Seoul government has cited freedom of expression as a reason for its inability to stop anti-North Korean activists from flying propaganda across the border.

Images released by the South Korean military showed trash spread across highways and roads in different parts of the country. In Seoul, military officials found what appeared to be a timer that was likely meant to break up the bags of trash in the air.

There were no immediate⁷ reports of damage caused by the balloons. Similar North Korean balloon activities damaged cars and other property in 2016.

Kim Jong Un’s comments about the satellite came during a speech at the North’s Academy of Defense Sciences. He visited the academy a day after a rocket carrying what would have been his country’s second military spy satellite exploded shortly after launch.

Monday’s launch drew criticism from South Korea, Japan and the United States. The United Nations bans North Korea from carrying out any such rocket launches. The U.N. considers such actions as covers for testing long-range missile technology.

North Korea has not commented on when it would be ready to attempt a satellite launch again. Some experts say it could take several months.

Words in This Story

balloon — n. a thin usually rubber bag that becomes larger when it is filled with air or gas

manure — n. solid waste from farm animals that is used to make soil better for growing plants

response — n. something that is said or written as a reply to something

overwhelm — v. to affect very strongly

challenge — n. a difficult task or problem

academy — n. a school that provides training in special subjects or skills

1 manure   

n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥

参考例句：

• The farmers were distributing manure over the field.农民们正在田间施肥。
• The farmers used manure to keep up the fertility of their land.农夫们用粪保持其土质的肥沃。

2 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。

3 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。