Our Planet Climate and Geopolitics
On Monday, North Korea tried to launch a spy satellite into orbit, hours after the leaders of South Korea, China and Japan met in Seoul. The launch failed after the rocket it was attached to exploded shortly after takeoff. On Wednesday, Pyongyang turned to more basic tactics, sending more than 260 balloons filled with rubbish and excrement across the border into South Korea. North Korea said they were launched in retaliation for balloons sent in the other direction by South Korean activists containing anti-regime propaganda and banned K-pop songs. South Korea called the move “base and dangerous”. It’s unpleasant, but less dangerous than nuclear escalation.