South Korea: Defector turned activist defiant amid Korea crisis

An anti-North Korea activist plans to continue sending propaganda leaflets and bottles of rice tied to balloons over the North-South Korean border despite a warning from the South Korean government and threats from the North.

Park Jung-oh, a North Korean defector and the head of Keunsam Education Center, said Thursday he will try to send anti-North leaflets soon amid heightened tensions on the peninsula.

Park said he can't understand the South's reaction against the leaflets and rice when the activity has continued for years.

"How can rice provoke North Korea? That is not what rice is for. It is for those who are The North on Tuesday blew up an empty office building that had allowed the two Koreas to talk in person in the North Korean border town of Kaesong. Pyongyang also said it was scrapping a key military agreement aimed at reducing conventional threats along the border. hungry to pick it up so they can feed themselves. Also masks (for the coronavirus prevention). Which of these is provocative?" Park said.

"There is nothing other than rice and masks. I just don't understand the (South Korean) government. What they say is so strange," he continued.

The South Korean government has sued Park and his brother Park Sang-hak, another anti-North Korea activist sending leaflets, for violating the inter-Korean exchanges and cooperative act.

This week the North blew up an empty office building that had allowed the two Koreas to talk in person in the North Korean border town of Kaesong.

Pyongyang also said it was scrapping a key military agreement aimed at reducing conventional threats along the border.

(Representative Image)