Incheon Airport flights delayed by more than an hour due to North Korean balloons

Flights at Incheon International Airport were delayed by more than an hour Friday morning due to the release of what appeared to be more trash-laden balloons from North Korea.

Window view from a plane headed to New York from Incheon International Airport, taken by Jim Bulley, sports desk chief of the Korea JoongAng Daily, on Friday. [JIM BULLEY]

Flights at Incheon International Airport were delayed by more than an hour Friday morning due to the release of what appeared to be more trash-laden balloons from North Korea.

The Korea JoongAng Daily’s Jim Bulley was scheduled to fly to New York on Friday morning but was held on the tarmac due to what the airline called “North Korea’s unlawful ballooning activity.”

“My flight boarded on time at 9:20 a.m., they closed the doors, did the safety announcement and seemed to be preparing to push back when we were told that we would be delayed for at least an hour due to ‘North Korea’s unlawful ballooning activity,’” Bulley said. “A second announcement said that we were delayed due to ‘the appearance of unidentified flying objects.’”

The flight was then delayed a further 45 minutes.

North Korea launched what appeared to be trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea early Friday morning, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This activity took place just two days after it sent more than 150 balloons to the South.

The latest launch marked the 24th of its kind since Pyongyang began the balloon campaign in late May.

BY KIM JEE-HEE [kim.jeehee@joongang.co.kr]