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Balloons for Pyongyang
00:17
North Korea and South Korea have been divided since the end of the violence of the Korean War in 1953. The border runs roughly along the 38th parallel, with the nations separated by a demilitarized zone, known as the DMZ. Ironically, on each side of the DMZ lies the largest concentration of opposing armed forces anywhere in the world, separating two nations still technically at war, and still suffering occasional violent hostilities.
In the decades since the war and particularly in the last several years, thousands of North Koreans have made their way to South Korea. Today some of them are spearheading efforts to change North Korea toward democracy.
One method they use is to send large balloons carrying leaflets, socks, CDs and money from near the border in the South … into North Korea.
Park Sang-hak came to South Korea more than a dozen years ago.
Park Sang-hak,
North Korean defector:
01:15 – 01:47
I crossed the Aprok River with my mother and sisters, all 4 family members. It was not a matter of difficulty in our case; we could die if caught by North Korea, but if not we can survive. So it was a matter of survival or death. We thought like that, do or die, so we didn't think about difficulties or hardship.
Mr. Park is not the first person to think of dropping propaganda leaflets in ‘enemy’ territory. The practice was commonplace during the Korean War, with both Northern and Southern forces dispersing such propaganda. The U.S. – lead United Nations allied with South Korea sought to demoralize the North Korean fighters, suggesting the war was being promoted by Stalin, and exhorting soldiers to defect. North Korea, with similar motives, characterized the war as a capitalist enterprise, in which the UN fighters were pawns of a political military industrial complex.
The sending of the propaganda leaflets is a controversial endeavor at this time. Some people inhabiting regions near the launching site believe the activity is painting their homes with a bulls-eye, as North Korea has said it will respond militarily to the activity.
Certainly the messages, calling for the destruction of the Kim dynasty of North Korea, rile authorities in Pyongyang.
Choi Jong-kun,
Yonsei University:
02:47 – 04:10
It’s really hard to imagine any direct criticism about their government anyway but you are actually directly injecting this criticism directly into the North Korean public. Therefor they hate it. They see it as a threat Then, if you think from the so-called senders point of view the question becomes why would they do it. Perhaps they are really personally committed to so-called liberating North Korea public from the tyranny of the Kim family as they always argue. And second of all the question becomes is really, who is their audience, because we cannot really verify whether or not the North Korean public has been receiving these contents of the balloons. So I would say that their audience is really the South Korean public as well. In other words, so-called anti-North Korean segments in this country and also Americans and Japanese who are really against what is going on in North Korea in terms of human rights and whatnot. So I think that their motivations are really dual and double targeted.
With their activities in South Korea, those promoting democracy in their homeland face tremendous risks. North Korea has threatened them with assassination, and has launched attempts on their lives. Mr. Park, receives 24-hour security from South Korean government agents.
He claims his messages have landed right in central Pyongyang.
Park Sang-hak,
North Korean defector:
04:30 – 05:33
Among defectors, many claimed that they knew about the leaflets and that they have read them as well. They said that they were shocked to know that the people who were sending the leaflets were also defectors - who escaped North Korea before them. That made them more trusting since we also provided information on how to escape. They thought that the leaflets must be true because they were sent by defectors and this idea spread among North Koreans. And since the leaflets often fell on the grounds of the Kim Il-sung Square, it became a great issue there. Many North Korean defectors told us about the leaflets. And the North Korean government is frightened since they now know that the leaflets are sent by the defectors; and since the leaflets are criticizing the government's hereditary dictatorship and talking about the South - which they hate the most. Many people are reading the leaflets in North Korea.
It is widely believed that tens of thousands of politically minded North Koreans suffer in prison camps; hardship, poverty and malnutrition are chronic and widespread. While some may argue these problems are influenced by politically motivated Western imposed sanctions, Mr. Park puts the blame squarely on a regime he wishes overthrown.
Park Sang-hak,
North Korean defector:
05:56 – 06:38
The Bible says, "The truth will set you free." I think when North Korean people know the truth – from the leaflets - they will realize how it is not free to be living under a supreme commander, and they will want rights and freedom. I’m sure North Korean people will rise, and there are many signs. We shouldn't give up although it’s not happening today. I think if we do it constantly someday a Jasmin revolution will happen in North Korea just like Libya and Tunisia.
Mr. Park certainly knows his trade - in North Korea, he worked for the propaganda ministry – and here employs methods he knows will capture an influential audience.
Park Sang-hak – Speech
06:53 – 08:06
Today is the 100th anniversary of Kim Il-sung’s birth, the national traitor who has caused unbearable injury to 70 million Koreans. Even on this day, his grandson Kim Jong-un used up money that could feed 20 million people for a year just for missiles. What is more, he threatens the international community and South Korea, that he will make it a sea of flames if we do not give him sufficient aid. We have gathered to denunciate the inhumanity of the North Korean government which attempts to lay another 50 years of suffering on the North Korean people through its third generation of hereditary rule, despite the sacrifices of North Korean defectors and 20 million North Koreans. Today we will send leaflets that urge North Koreans to end the third generation of their government by their own hands. I hope that the leaflets will be the light of liberty and hope for those starving and oppressed in North Korea.
Indeed the sending of balloons has become a news event in itself, frequently covered by many international news media. To fund their efforts Mr. Park and others have received support from religious groups, and in Mr. Park’s case, politically powerful elements of South Korea’s military.
Jang Se-yool - NK people's Liberation Front
08:21 – 09:39
A few days ago, Kim Jung-un has finished taking over the leadership. If we urge the North to democratize, the North Korean people will suffer many more decades of starvation and oppression. We have gathered here for our brothers, our friends and fellowmen in North Korea. The leaflets that we send are not merely an event for the news. We intend to inform our fellowmen in North Korea about liberal democracy and inhumanity of dictatorship. The leaflets must be sent so that we can democratize North Korea not only so that we can achieve reunification, but also peace. We will continue to send the leaflets so as to start a democratic fire in the North and spearhead the movement of overthrowing Kim Jung-un.
The launch location – Imjingak – holds significant Korean War monuments, lying just 7 kilometers from North Korea, on the edge of the DMZ. However, some argue the site is not ideal to send balloons, but is used for PR purposes. But launches, at least monthly, favor the platform.
10:30
Another group using the balloon launch method to get their message out is the Korean Peninsula International Peace Organization. Their defector leader has forged ties with people from all over the world who have mostly come to South Korea for other reasons, to study and live and work, but upon hearing of this cause, offer support. This group has a busy rally calendar, in this case joining other activists in front of the Chinese Embassy, to draw attention to South Koreans held in China while on their perilous route out of North Korea.
They join Lee Ju-seong in his efforts, making the trip just North of Seoul to a launch site.
Mr. Lee’s message differs significantly from Mr. Park’s, and demonstrates the division in South Korean society concerning how the government should deal with North Korea. Today South Koreans are about equally divided between those that believe in the engagement and cooperation policy of the two previous liberal administrations, and those that favor the hardline approach of the current government. This difference is also evident in Mr. Lee’s message to North Korea.
Lee Ju-seong,
Korean Peninsula International Peace Organization:
12:32 – 12:54
To our loving North Korean brothers; Dear North Korean people; the people of the world are always beside you. Our meeting is the hope and future of all Korean people. I wish you a healthy and long life. Cheer up North Korean brothers. I love you. I really, really, miss you.
On this trip were several who had joined in this mission for the first time. Nevertheless, they understood the media aspect of their participation as well as the utility behind the sending of socks.
Jonathon,
Korea Peace Organization activist:
13:07 – 14:25
There’s so many foreigners involved from outside Korea and I think there’s an importance to the message that foreigners care about North Korea and care about this whole issue and I think that that’s even, the publicity side of things for NKP is almost just as important as getting the actual socks to North Korea. Of course it depends on the wind and depends on if people find the socks in the mountains. There’s kind of a fine line that you have to walk when you deal with sanctions and governments that aren’t very popular in the international community. It seems that there’s other ways that can target specific people in the government and more of the elite rather than using sanctions that specifically target the general population.
Ideally you’d want more oversight of the food aid going on to North Korea but the big problem is they don't allow the oversight of the aid being provided. So this is a way to kind of bypass that NKP is a way to kind of bypass that lack of oversight by dropping socks that can be traded for food, directly in the people’s hands.
Like Mr. Park, Lee Ju-seong is very committed to his cause – nervous security agents testify to the dangers he too faces with his work.
Lee Ju-seong,
Korean Peninsula International Peace Organization:
14:24 – 15:06
I'm doing this to help the North Korean people, especially children.
When the international community or some country gives food to the North Korean government it does not go to the North Korean People. But the things we send by balloon directly drop onto North Korean soil, so North Korean people can get that and use it in their lives.
North Korea is a very closed society. Control of the press is absolute, state propaganda omnipresent. While some contraband media slip into the country and are trade by the like-minded, and radio signals beamed in by Voice of America and Radio Free North Korea enjoy some listeners, relatively few North Koreans know much about the outside world.
Lee Ju-seong,
Korean Peninsula International Peace Organization:
15:29 – 16:16
When I saw leaflets in North Korea, I wonder if they contained the truth or lies. I thought if it is true I have been deceived. When I went to China I realized how South Korea is and how the world goes. So I came to the free world and the leaflet lead me. After I came to South Korea I saw the wealth of South Korean society and the world, from that I thought I should help North Korean people. So I started sending socks and before the day of reunification I want reduce the suffering North Korean people as much as I can, especially children.
While the nuclear question no doubt dominates the debate about the division between North Korea and South Korea and its ally the United States, Mr. Lee thinks ideology remains the root of the problem.
Lee Ju-seong,
Korean Peninsula International Peace Organization:
16:31 – 17:10
North and South Korea are in conflict because of political and ideological differences. Getting out of the political and ideological problem, I wish for reunification as the same people. North Koreans have a hard time, living in poverty. So I wish South Korea and international community would help North Korea. I wish developed countries like South Korea or U.S.'s economic power and culture be brought to North Korea, so that they can live in wealth, live in a new world together.
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18:48