N. Korean defector groups launch propaganda leaflets

At 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, 10 balloons carrying large plastic bags ascended from Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. Each balloon contained 200,000 propaganda leaflets denouncing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's statement that labeled South Korea as a perpetual enemy. The balloons included 200 one-dollar bills, trot music from singers Na Hoon-a and Lim Young-woong, and USB flash drives with episodes of the South Korean drama “Winter Sonata.”

The Fighters for a Free North Korea, an organization comprised of North Korean defectors, had previously announced their intention to distribute these leaflets. Park Sang-hak, the group’s leader, confirmed that between midnight and 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, they launched ten balloons from Pocheon, carrying 200,000 leaflets aimed at a North Korean audience. “We will continue to send these propaganda leaflets, symbols of truth and freedom, to our compatriots in North Korea unless Kim Jong Un issues an apology,” Park said, adding that the police did not intervene during the launch.

Other groups of North Korean defectors are reportedly planning to send additional propaganda leaflets, contingent on wind conditions.

“We are preparing 100,000 propaganda leaflets, Choco pies, and USB flash drives containing radio broadcasts,” the head of the National Association of North Korean Defectors mentioned. “The wind direction is expected to shift on June 8 to 9.”

The South Korean government finds it challenging to formally request these defector groups to stop sending leaflets. An official from the Ministry of Unification stated that the government maintains a close cooperative relationship with relevant agencies and is actively managing the situation. “We are addressing the issue of these organizations sending leaflets to North Korea in light of the Constitutional Court's decision last September, which affirmed the guarantee of freedom of expression‎,” the official said.


고도예 기자 yea@donga.com