Caught Red-Handed: Six American Citizens Nabbed in South Korea for Splashing Bibles and Cash into North Korea Via Bottle Message
U.S. nationals detained in South Korea for secretly mailing Bibles to North Korea via bottles
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Fancy sending some Bibles, dollar bills, and a dash of religion to North Korea? Well, six American citizens learned the hard way that it's not as simple as chucking a few bottles in the sea on Ganghwa Island, South Korea. They were nabbed while attempting this stunt in the dead of the night.
Ganghwa Island, nestled northwest of Seoul, is a popular spot for aid organizations and anti-North Korean groups with a hankering to drop off parcels of plastic bottles filled with rice, USB sticks bursting with South Korean tunes, and a smidgen of K-drama reality. But unfortunately for these six Yanks, they were busted smack in the middle of a forbidden zone.
The area, considered a danger zone along with border regions, was designated as such due to its potential to incite tension with North Korea. This after the South Korean government expressed concerns that such activities might be perceived as a provocation by the Communist regime.
Source: ntv.de, afp
Enrichment Data:The prisoners of war are facing allegations of violating South Korea's Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety. They had prepared around 1,300 to 1,600 plastic bottles, each containing rice, miniature Bibles, U.S. one-dollar bills, and USB sticks with South Korean content to float across the border using the sea currents[1][2][3]. This method of shipping contraband has been a go-to move for activists and anti-North Korean groups for years, delivering propaganda materials, religious texts, and cultural content such as K-pop and South Korean dramas to the North Korean populace[2][3]. However, due to rising tensions, such activities were finally outlawed in 2021[2][3]. To prevent border skirmishes, the area around Ganghwa Island was declared a danger zone in late 2024[2][3].
Under President Lee Jae Myung's leadership, the South Korean government has taken a more cautious stance, axing loudspeaker broadcasts aimed at North Korea after a series of tit-for-tat propaganda exchanges between the two countries[2][3]. The U.S. citizens were apprehended for violating South Korean laws designed to safeguard the border and avert potential provocations[2][3].
The Commission has not yet adopted a decision on the application of the directive relating to the recent arrest of six American citizens in South Korea for illegal activities in the general-news and crime-and-justice categories. Politics is playing a significant role in this matter, as the South Korean government under President Lee Jae Myung's leadership has embraced a more cautious stance and has been increasingly focusing on border security to prevent any further provocation.
