North Korea has long been known for its rhetorical braggadocio. Most of the time, the regime’s bluster needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. But on occasion, we should be less quick to dismiss the threats emanating from it and its state-controlled media mouthpieces.

Earlier this week, North Korea launched over 250 balloons carrying bags of faeces, used bottles, and other waste across the inter-Korean border, subsequently dumping them on South Korean territory. In the words of Kim Yo Jong, the vitriolic sister of Kim Jong Un, the balloons were ‘gifts of sincerity’ to the South. The move is a far cry from North Korea’s usual intimidation tactics of launching missiles, although only several hours afterwards, the North launched a barrage of short-range missiles towards Japan.

North Korea is not afraid of following through on its word if it wants to

But the sending of balloons across the inter-Korean border is anything but new. In 2016, North Korea infamously sent rubbish-filled balloons southward, signalling its dislike for the then-South Korean president, Park Geun-hye. Activist groups in South Korea, who wish to widen the North Korean population’s access to true information about the outside world, have also done the same.

This week’s incident came with some forewarning. A few days prior, North Korea’s vice-minister of defence Kim Kang Il lambasted both the joint live-fire drills taking place between US and South Korean air forces, and the launch of balloons carrying South Korean music, K-pop, and........

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