North Korea sent 150 balloons carrying animal faeces, toilet paper and rubbish over its southern border on Wednesday, prompting Seoul to accuse Kim Jong Un’s regime of “low class” actions.

Residents living in the border zone were warned to refrain from outdoor activities and not to touch any suspicious objects as the military’s explosives ordnance unit and chemical and biological warfare response teams were dispatched to the area.

Photographs in the South Korean media showed rubbish bags tethered to large white balloons floating above fields and roads, as well as the aftermath of hard landings where what appeared to be dark excrement had burst across the ground.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said that “unidentified objects believed to be North Korean propaganda leaflets have been identified” and that the military was taking action.

It said that the North’s actions “clearly violate international laws and seriously threaten the safety of our people.”

“We sternly warn the North to immediately stop its inhumane and low-class actions,” it added.