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, ranging in age from their 20s to 50s, allegedly attempted to release approximately 1,300 plastic bottles containing the goods from the restricted area on Ganghwa Island, about 50 kilometers west of Seoul, during the early morning hours.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the individuals were taken into custody after a coastal military unit guarding the area reported them to the police. They now face charges of violating the management of disasters and safety framework act. The area has been restricted to the public after being designated as a danger zone in November, and an administrative order banning launches of anti-Pyongyang leaflets is in effect.
A police official stated plans to question the U.S. nationals through an interpreter. It is noted that North Korean defector groups in South Korea have previously released such bottles into waters near the border in what they have described as efforts to send humanitarian assistance to the country's impoverished people.
In a related development, President Lee Jae Myung, who assumed office earlier this month, has ordered measures to prevent the launch of leaflets critical of North Korea and to punish violators of related laws. This is part of his broader initiative to mend frayed ties with the North.