Long-suffering South Koreans living near the border have been warned about the bizarre actions of their totalitarian neighbour.

The South Korean military released photos of the inflated balloons. One bag had the word “excrement” written on it, to allay any doubt about its contents.

“These acts by North Korea clearly violate international law and seriously threaten our people’s safety,” the joint chiefs of staff said, according to news agency Yonhap. “[We] sternly warn North Korea to immediately stop these inhumane and vulgar acts.”