The governors of two South Korean provinces bordering North Korea engaged in a dispute over how to handle activists flying leaflets targeting North Koreans over the border, following recent harassment by trash balloons launched by Pyongyang. Kim Dong-yeon, the governor of Gyeonggi Province, expressed plans to increase surveillance and patrols around border areas in response to the security situation. He criticized the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration for inaction and called for concrete measures to address the anti-Pyongyang leaflets. On the other hand, Kim Jin-tae, the governor of Gangwon Province, argued that stopping leaflet activism was not the right approach and suggested that the focus should be on the trash balloons instead. The Democratic Party also labeled the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets as illegal and raised concerns about the potential for North Korea to use the balloons for biological warfare. However, some experts disagreed with the demand to ban the leaflet campaign and the claim of the possibility of biological weapons being sent by North Korea. The balloon launches from North Korea also drew criticism from the United States ambassador to South Korea, who described them as "outrageous and counterproductive to the reduction of tensions" and pledged support for South Korea in addressing the issue.