Amid threats from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) of open fire to South Korea, the members of Fighters for Free North Korea (FFNK) have sent propaganda leaflets across the border on October 25.

FFNK’s main purpose of sending leaflets to North Korea is to let North Korean people know of the North Korean government’s wrongdoings and help them to realize what is happening outside of their destitute country.

Five members of FFNK launched giant balloons loaded with propaganda leaflets to North Korea at Kimpo city, western area of Seoul. An official of FFNK said, “Today is a good day to send leaflets to North Korea thanks to the wind. The balloons have about two hundred thousand anti-Pyongyang leaflets and 1,000 one dollar U.S. bills in it.”

FFNK was trying to send propaganda leaflets to North Korea on October 22, but was stopped by Korean police and army, because North Korea said it will attack South Korea if those activists start to send propaganda leaflets. On that day, the organization planned to send about two hundred thousand leaflets, but it was able to send only about a hundred thousand leaflets.

Before the members of FFNK started their movement, on October 19, North Korea announced an official statement via its official Korean Central News Agency, saying that it will carry out a “merciless military strike” on the South Korean territory “the moment a minor movement for the scattering is captured” in the border area. After its announcement, North Korea allocated the artillery, self –propelled guns, and towed artillery to the western front, creating tensions between two Koreas.

In response, South Korean defense minister Kim Kwan-jin said the country will strike back and “completely destroy the source of attacks.”

Meanwhile, the association of propaganda broadcasts beamed at North Korea has issued an official statement over North Korea’s threats on October 25, saying that they will not stop their work that helps North Korean people.

The association was made by four propaganda broadcasts beamed at North Korea: North Korea Reform Radio, Open Radio for North Korea, Free North Korea Radio, and Radio Free Chosun on April of this year aimed at letting North Korean people know the cruelty of Kim Jeong-un administration and the new from the world by broadcasting propaganda to North Korea.

The association said, “It is true that there are lots of controversies in Korean society over sending propaganda leaflets to North Korea. However, it is necessary for private organizations to do that job given the North Korean people’s closed and limited access to media.”

When it comes to North Korea’s threats, the organization said, “It is obvious that North Korea is blackmailing South Korea because it is afraid of the effects of anti-Pyongyang leaflets on North Korean people. We should continue to send leaflets to North with more information that can help North Korean people to realize the reality of their country.”

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About the author

Tae-jun Kang
Tae-jun Kang graduated from Korea University with a business degree as well as a minor in Russian language and literature. He had worked as a riot police in Korea for 2 years before he started his degree. This gave him an opportunity to focus on the social issues which he overlooked before, and spiked his interest in the field of journalism. In 2011, he worked for Voice of America Seoul News Center for nine months as an intern, building his goal to become an international journalist. You can reach him by sending an email to taejun.kang@toonarimedia.com