South Korea officials arrested six Americans on Friday for allegedly tried to send 1,600 plastic bottles containing rice, bible miniatures, $ 1 notes and Pen Drives to North Korea.
According to the Associated Press agency, the Americans, whose names were not disclosed, were arrested on Ganghwa Island, near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North Korea and South Korea.
They were arrested before throwing the bottles to the sea, with the purpose of reaching the North Korean coast taken by the tide.
According to Ganghwa police, Americans are being investigated for allegations of violation of the security management law and disasters. It was not informed what was the content of the seized pen drives.
The sending of plastic bottles or balloons with pamphlets with North Anti-Corea and Pen Drives messages containing doramas and K-pop songs to the communist country has always occurred in South Korea, but was banned between 2021 and 2023 because it was afraid it could intensify the tensions with Pyongyang.
The South Korea Constitutional Court revoked two years ago a law that criminalized the sending of leaflets and other items to North Korea, understanding that it assaulted freedom of expression, but the new South Korean president, the center-left Lee Jae-Myung, has been taking steps to avoid these acts.
Prior to the Americans’ arrests on Friday, on the 14th, an activist was arrested for allegedly sending balloons towards North Korea from Ganghwa Island.
Lee, who was elected in an early election held in early June, said during the campaign that he intended to restore dialogue with the North and was already investigated for charges of sending money to the communist country.
