By Kim Young-jin
A South Korean activist group Thursday launched 200,000 anti-regime pamphlets into North Korea, despite opposition from both sides of the border, its leader said.
Park Sang-hak, head of Fighters for a Free North Korea, said his group launched ten giant helium balloons carrying the leaflets from Gimpo, just south of the border.
Park, a North Korean defector, said he selected Gimpo over more popular sites to avoid confrontation with civic groups that complain the launches exacerbate inter-Korean tensions.
“We successfully sent the balloons early this morning containing leaflets, USB drives and 1,000 U.S. one-dollar bills,” he said. Information on the popular uprisings in the Middle East was included.
The launch came despite repeated threats from Pyongyang that it would fire at border areas if the activities, which it considers an act of psychological warfare, continue.
In the face of the threats some civic groups have publically denounced the launches, even physically blocking the activities.
Early this week, activists attempting a launch clashed with residents in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province who feared the North would shoot at their community.
“I understand the position of those groups,” Park said. “But our mission is to let North Koreans know the truth. People shouldn’t be afraid of the threats and should provide information to those in the North.”
The government previously discouraged the activities but stopped after the North’s deadly sinking of the Cheonan warship last March. It says the activists are acting within their rights.
The group plans to make more launches between April 9 and 15 at the border tourist park of Imjingak, to coincide with the birthday of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, which falls on April 15 and is one of the biggest holidays in the communist state.
Last month, the North threatened to fire on Imjingak if the propaganda campaign continued.
Korea Times intern Kim Ji-young contributed to this report