Seoul: Police on Friday apprehended six American citizens who attempted to release plastic bottles containing rice, one dollar bills, and the Bible into the sea near a restricted border area in an effort to send them to North Korea, officials said. The U.S. nationals, aged between 20 and 50, allegedly tried to release approximately 1,300 plastic bottles containing these items from the restricted area on Ganghwa Island, located about 50 kilometers west of Seoul, during the early morning hours.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the individuals were taken into custody after being reported by a coastal military unit monitoring the area. They are now facing charges of violating the management of disasters and safety framework act. The area has been off-limits to the public since November, following its designation as a danger zone. An administrative order banning the launch of anti-Pyongyang leaflets is currently enforced in the area.
Police stated that the Americans would be investigated without detention, as their actions do not presently justify an arrest warrant. Authorities discovered that the individuals are not linked to any civic or religious groups in Incheon and are working to ascertain whether they have connections to other organizations in and out of South Korea.
"We're going to release them as we believe the situation does not call for requesting an arrest warrant, and we plan to continue investigating them without physical detention," a police official said.
In the past, North Korean defector groups in South Korea have released similar bottles into waters near the border, describing these acts as efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to the impoverished population in North Korea. President Lee Jae Myung, who recently assumed office, has implemented measures to prevent the launch of leaflets critical of North Korea and to penalize violators of related laws in a bid to mend strained relations with the North.