Kim Jong-il to get birthday balloons filled with leaflets and money

Posted on : 2009-02-03 14:00 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Two groups could face prosecution for their actions, but plan to go ahead with what they say is a humanitarian gesture
 Choi Sung-yong
Choi Sung-yong

Two groups that have been launching anti-North Korean “leaflet balloons” say they are going to send “hundreds of 5,000 North Korean won bills and 300,000 leaflets” across the border on the occasion of North Korean National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il’s birthday this coming Feb. 16.

The Abductees’ Family Union and the Fighters for a Free North Korea announced their plan Monday. Despite government threats that they can even be prosecuted for bringing North Korean money into South Korea the groups called a joint press conference in front of the Central Government Complex building in downtown Seoul and said they would go ahead with the move anyway, showing journalists one hundred 5,000-won bills in North Korean currency.

“There is nothing legally wrong with sending money into North Korea like this because the goal is to send it to family members there who want to hear from us. We’re not doing this for inter-Korean exchange,” said Choi Sung-yong of FAD. “But we’re going to do it anyway, even if it is illegal.”

“Sending money to our starving family members is a humanitarian issue, regardless of the question of legality,” said Park Sang-hak of FFNK.

Individuals with both groups said they had purchased the North Korean money with between what is the equivalent of 2,000,000 and 3,000,000 South Korean won through American North Korean human rights activist Suzanne Scholte in China and the United States

They said they will release 30 balloons with the money and leaflets over a period of three days.

Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyun said the government will look into the matter of “bringing North Korean money into the country without permission” and will announce a response on February 13. The government is reportedly considering a legal complaint against Choi and Park for violating laws on inter-Korean contact.

“Bringing North Korean money into the country without authorization can result in up to three years in prison or a fine of 10 million won,” said Kim.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

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