A South Korean activist stated that he will launch balloons carrying DVDs of Sony’s The Interview toward North Korea to try to break down a cult of personality built around dictator Kim Jong Un, reported Al-Arabia News.
The comedy depicting an assassination attempt on Kim has stirred tension between North Korea and the US, with Washington blaming Pyongyang for hacking attacks on Sony Entertainment. However, Pyongyang has denied the claims and has vowed to react.
Activist Park Sang-hak said he will start dropping 100,000 DVDs and USBs with the movie by balloon in North Korea by late January.
Park, a North Korean rebel, said he’s partnering with the US-based non-profit Human Rights Foundation, which is funding the manufacture of the DVDs and USB memory sticks of the movie with Korean subtitles.
“North Korea’s absolute leadership will crumble if the idolization of leader Kim breaks down,” Park said.
If successfully carried out, the act is expected to infuriate North Korea, which has expressed anger over the movie.
Planners are still unsure of how effectively the plan will be carried out since only a small number of North Korean citizens own computers or DVD players. Many North Koreans would not even take on the risk of watching the movie as they know the consequences could be dire.
Not everyone supports sending balloons into the North. Liberals and border town residents in South Korea are advising the activists to stop.
North Korea has long demanded that South Korea stop the activists but Seoul refuses, quoting freedom of speech.
Park said the ballooning will be done secretly, with the amount of balloons increasing by March when he expects the wind direction to become more favourable.
Human Rights Foundation states on its website that it works with North Korean turncoats to use hydrogen balloons to send material across the border.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2015.
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