N. Korean balloon detonator suspected in warehouse fire near Seoul

This file image shows the roof of a warehouse in Paju, northwest of Seoul, damaged by fire suspected of being linked to waste balloons sent south by North Korea on Sept. 8. Courtesy of the Gyeonggi-Do Fire Services

SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - Fire authorities suspect that a timed detonator from a North Korean balloon, designed to disperse waste through a small explosion, may have ignited a warehouse fire in Paju, northwest of Seoul, on Sunday.

Since May, North Korea has launched balloons filled with wastepaper, garbage, and human feces into South Korea in retaliation against South Korean activist groups, mainly defectors, who send propaganda leaflets to the North.

These balloons have landed in various areas south of Seoul on about 17 occasions, including a highly secure area near the South Korean Presidential Office in July. Civilians have filed dozens of complaints about damage to cars and property since the balloon campaign began.

According to the Gyeonggi-Do Fire Services, a fire broke out at approximately 1:59 p.m. (0459 GMT) on the roof of a single-story warehouse owned by a pharmaceutical company. The blaze, which destroyed the entire roof, was extinguished by 58 firefighters and 23 fire engines after three hours.

At the scene, authorities discovered a detonator and remnants of a waste balloon, linking the fire to North Korean balloons launched earlier that day.

Gyeonggi Province’s fire control tower stated that the evidence was handed over to the military for further investigation. An emergency headquarters official explained, "Each balloon has a timed detonator. They explode after a set time, and we think it set fire to the content."