Trash carrying balloons from North Korea float over Mount Nam, Seoul, Oct. 4. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

North Korea again launched trash balloons toward South Korea early Monday, the South's military said, just three days after a similar launch last week.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff raised the possibility of the balloons floating toward northern Gyeonggi Province and other parts of the Seoul metropolitan area, advising citizens not to touch them and to be careful of balloons potentially dropping.

Since late May, the North has sent more than 5,000 balloons across the border toward South Korea over 25 occasions. In its previous launch on Friday, the North sent some 320 balloons.

South Korea's military has vowed to take "stern" military measures should North Korea "cross the line" with its ongoing trash balloon campaign or inflict serious damage to the South Korean people.

In response to the balloon launches, the South's military has been blasting daily anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts through loudspeakers along the border since July 21. It has refrained from directly shooting down the balloons, citing safety concerns. (Yonhap)