Defector group sends propaganda balloons to N. Korea

PAJU, South Korea, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- An anti-Pyongyang group of North Korean defectors said Sunday they released eight giant balloons carrying face masks, Tylenol pills and other items toward North Korea the previous day.

Park Sang-hak, head of the Fighters for a Free North Korea, told Yonhap News Agency that the balloons also carried vitamin C tablets, booklets outlining South Korea's development over the past 50 years and USBs containing U.S. lawmakers talking about North Korea's human rights situation.

The balloons, which were launched from Paju, north of Seoul, around 10 p.m., also had placards reading, "The humankind condemns Kim Jong-un who is threatening to launch preemptive strikes on the Republic of Korea with nuclear missiles," he said.

The Republic of Korea is South Korea's official name.

Police dispatched to the scene seized balloons that the group had not yet sent and took Park into custody for questioning.

Sending such balloons across the border is banned under a law that was legislated to help reduce tensions in the border regions as North Korea has bristled strongly against such balloons and even threatened to shoot them down.

Earlier this year, Pyongyang also blamed its coronavirus outbreaks on items flown from South Korea.

South Korea's unification ministry has urged anti-North Korea civic groups to refrain from flying such balloons.

(END)