Seoul, May 31 (IANS): The unification ministry of South Korea on Friday warned that "unendurably" painful measures would be taken against North Korea if it continues to stage "irrational" provocative acts, such as this week's sending of balloons carrying trash to South.

Earlier this week, North Korea flew hundreds of large balloons carrying trash and manure into South Korea and staged GPS jamming attacks in waters near South Korea's northwestern border islands for a third straight day until Friday. The country also fired a salvo of short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday, reports Yonhap news agency.

The ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs voiced "strong" regret over North Korea's "senseless and irrational" provocative acts.

"The government is taking the North's latest provocations very seriously. We will not tolerate such moves," the ministry spokesperson, Koo Byoung-sam said.

"If North Korea does not stop its provocative acts, the government will take all measures that North Korea cannot endure. We sternly warn that all responsibility for what will take place afterward will rest on North Korea," it noted.