A torrent of trash by Reuters

Throughout 2024, North Korea launched thousands of balloons carrying bags of trash into South Korea, escalating tensions between the two nations.

The balloons disrupted flights at Seoul’s Incheon airport, sparked a fire on the roof of a residential building, and even landed in the precincts of the South’s presidential palace. Across swathes of the country, they hit cars, farms, neighbourhoods, restaurants, and schools.

A team of Reuters reporters and visual journalists set out to explain the scale of the issue, how far the balloons travelled, and their impact, all in an immersive and innovative format.