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Balloons believed to have been launched in China during New Year's celebrations found across Seoul

Published: 02 Jan. 2026, 16:16

Drummers ring in the new year at the Juyongguan Great Wall on the outskirts of Beijing, China, on Jan. 1. [AP/YONHAP]

Hundreds of balloons, believed to have been released during China’s New Year celebrations, were found across the greater Seoul area and Gangwon on Friday.

Over 600 balloons likely carried by northwesterly winds from China were spotted in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Gangwon, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Friday.

The JCS assessed that, unlike North Korean balloons carrying trash or potentially explosive materials, these balloons contained no payloads or propaganda leaflets.

The JCS concluded that the balloons were likely released during New Year festivities in China and were carried to South Korea by strong winds.

China held large-scale New Year celebrations on Thursday in major cities including Beijing and Shanghai, where tens of thousands of balloons and sky lanterns were launched to mark the occasion.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]