US EditionBalloon Activism Caught in Crossfire of Korean Politics
SOUTH KOREA, JUL 7 – South Korea's new administration has investigated 72 cases and prosecuted 13 activists to reduce tensions and address safety concerns near the North Korean border.
- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered measures in 2025 to stop activists from sending balloons with leaflets into North Korea, deploying police to border areas and using aviation laws to punish offenders.
- This crackdown followed persistent balloon launches by defectors sending leaflets and aid, amid heightened tensions after North Korea began sending garbage-filled balloons into the South last year.
- Several activist groups, including Choi Sung-yong's Abductees' Family Union, suspended balloon launches after government calls warned of stricter enforcement under Lee’s pro-engagement administration sworn in June 2025.
- Police investigated approximately 72 leaflet cases last year, sending 13 to prosecutors, while some local residents near the border supported the crackdown, saying the launches caused distress and risked safety.
- The new restrictions aim to ease inter-Korean tensions and economic harm caused by hostility, though activists like 67-year-old Lee Min-bok oppose stopping their balloon missions despite government pressure.
11 Articles
11 Articles
South Korea’s balloon crackdown hits anti-North Korea activists | The Asahi Shimbun Asia & Japan Watch
POCHEON, South Korea--The equipment activist Lee Min-bok uses to send balloons laden with anti-Kim Jong Un leaflets across the border from South Korea unto the North has been gathering dust and cobwebs for months.
Colorado Springs Gazette
NDTVBy Ju-min Park
Balloon Activism Caught in Crossfire of Korean Politics
South Korean activists, led by Lee Min-bok, have paused their balloon launches of anti-Kim Jong Un leaflets amid pressure from Lee Jae Myung's pro-engagement administration. New measures crack down on cross-border tensions. Many activists are reassessing operations as fear and governmental interference rise.
Arab News
South Korea’s balloon crackdown hits anti-North Korea activists
The family association of the abductees, which had been scattering leaflets to North Korea since October of last year, officially declared on the 8th that it would stop scattering leaflets. The family association of the abductees held a ceremony at the outdoor shelter on the 2nd floor of the Imjingak Korean Peninsula Ecological Peace Tourism Center in Paju City at 11:00 AM that day.
South Korea’s Balloon Ban Limits Activists Opposing North Korean Regime
When it became clear that centre-left politician Lee Jae Myung was on track to win the June presidential election, Lee Min-bok was among several South Korea-based activists who stopped their missions. The post South Korea’s Balloon Ban Limits Activists Opposing North Korean Regime appeared first on StratNews Global.
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