South Korean activists have been attaching pro-freedom materials to balloons and floating them towards their neighbors to the north in an attempt to educate the nation's citizens about what life is like on the outside. While many have utilized balloons to spread their message, the Committee for Reform and Opening up of [North Korea] has refined the technology via the use of 3D printers and altimeters.
The tactic, which was once used by the South Korean government itself, was banned in 2020, however that was struck down by a court last year. Since then, the number of balloons being launched toward the north has increased, despite warnings from Kim Jong Un's government.
According to Reuters, the group's 30 core members rely partly on donations and partly on their own money to construct the devices, which are made airborne by a 12-meter-tall balloon. They consist of a 3D-printed box filled with an elaborate mechanical apparatus that spits out leaflets.
Atop the box sits a waterproof speaker system that plays 15 minutes of North Korean songs and messages in a North Korean accent. Among them are, "Get rid of the Worker's Party, then [North Korea] can survive" and "Kim Jong Un is a traitor that opposes unification." The devices have the ability to detach from the balloons, which are fitted with altimeters to ensure they do not float too high, and land via parachute.
The group has said about 50 to 60 percent of the balloons they set free manage to make it more than 12km north of the border, which is quite an improvement over those of the past. "Our smart balloons are expensive but we think they're a hundred times more powerful than balloons flown by other groups," one member noted.
As Reuters reports, North Korea has also been sending their own balloons to the south. Theirs, however, are not filled with educational materials, rather feces and garbage.
The tactic, which was once used by the South Korean government itself, was banned in 2020, however that was struck down by a court last year. Since then, the number of balloons being launched toward the north has increased, despite warnings from Kim Jong Un's government.
According to Reuters, the group's 30 core members rely partly on donations and partly on their own money to construct the devices, which are made airborne by a 12-meter-tall balloon. They consist of a 3D-printed box filled with an elaborate mechanical apparatus that spits out leaflets.
Atop the box sits a waterproof speaker system that plays 15 minutes of North Korean songs and messages in a North Korean accent. Among them are, "Get rid of the Worker's Party, then [North Korea] can survive" and "Kim Jong Un is a traitor that opposes unification." The devices have the ability to detach from the balloons, which are fitted with altimeters to ensure they do not float too high, and land via parachute.
The group has said about 50 to 60 percent of the balloons they set free manage to make it more than 12km north of the border, which is quite an improvement over those of the past. "Our smart balloons are expensive but we think they're a hundred times more powerful than balloons flown by other groups," one member noted.
As Reuters reports, North Korea has also been sending their own balloons to the south. Theirs, however, are not filled with educational materials, rather feces and garbage.
