The military said Thursday that North Korea has increased the use of timed detonators attached to its trash-carrying balloons.

Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) spokesperson Lee Sung-joon explained during a regular briefing that timers have been placed on the balloons to make them explode after a certain period of time and scatter debris.

Compared to the North's earlier balloon launches, he said the use of these detonators has risen, without elaborating.

Responding to questions about a trash-carrying balloon landing near the Yongsan Presidential Office, Lee said no hazardous materials have been found so far, adding that discussions were held about potentially shooting down the balloons, however, a decision was made to adhere to the JCS protocol of letting them fall on their own and then collecting them afterward.

He said when the balloons entered the Yongsan area, the top office cooperated with relevant agencies to evaluate safety hazards and swiftly responded by utilizing first responder units.

Lee stressed that if the trash-carry balloons were to contain hazardous substances, it would be considered an attack on South Korean soil.