SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea has been forced to repeatedly shut down runways at the two main airports for the capital Seoul since June due to disruption from balloons carrying trash launched by North Korea, a South Korean lawmaker said on Wednesday, citing aviation data.

North Korea’s trash-laden balloons interrupted operations at Seoul-area airports 20 times this year. As of Monday, trash balloons had disrupted air traffic for a combined 413 minutes at Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport.

Over the weekend, North Korea launched a further batch of balloons carrying waste across the border, causing chaos in the south and provoking anger from Seoul officials. The response from South Korea signals that the heightening tensions between the two may soon spill over into a more significant confrontation.

South Korea Lawmaker Bu-nam has reported that Incheon and Gimpo airports closed their runways on 20 different days since June 1

North Korea launched a fresh wave of “trash balloons" toward its southern neighbors Wednesday night, according to local media.

South Korea said Monday it would take "decisive military action" if anyone is killed by the wave of trash-carrying balloons being launched across the border by North Korea.Shortly after the North's launch of trash-filled balloons in May,

South Korea warned of possible military actions if North Korea continues to fly more trash balloons across the border, a rare direct threat of retaliation since Pyongyang started sending them in May.

Mounds of wastepaper and filth will soon be scattered over the border areas and the interior of the ROK [South Korea] and it will directly experience how much effort is required to remove them.’