In the balloon warfare between North Korea and South Korean activists, one Seoul-based group has honed its tech expertise to develop balloons capable of dispersing leaflets and electronic speakers hundreds of kilometers across the border.

Seoul

North and South Korea continue to exchange balloons, with the North sending garbage across the border and the activists from the South sending balloons equipped with leaflet dispensers and loudspeakers. 

Korean balloon exchanges

Earlier this year, a group of activists in South Korea released a "smart balloon" designed to enter North Korean airspace, carrying a sophisticated 15-pound payload. These balloons are equipped with mechanical leaflet dispensers, bundles of speakers, and GPS trackers. The group has been developing these devices since 2016 and began regular launches in 2022.

The activists launch these balloons once or twice a month from spring to fall when the wind conditions are favorable. The balloons are intended to travel deep into North Korean territory, dispersing thousands of leaflets and broadcasting recordings critical of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in a North Korean accent. The messages include statements accusing Kim Jong-un of being a traitor and opposing reunification.

Recently, North Korea responded to these activities by sending over a thousand balloons filled with garbage and manure across the border into South Korea. Pyongyang officials stated this was in retaliation for the propaganda campaign by North Korean defectors and activists in South Korea. The Seoul-based group, known as the Committee for Reform and Opening Up of JOSEN, was founded by a North Korean defector and consists of around 30 core members.

The group operates from a small rented apartment in Seoul, where they use 3D printers to build components for their balloons. Each balloon, filled with hydrogen, can stretch nearly 40 feet in length and typically carries payloads such as speakers, Bibles, and shortwave radios. They have also added altimeter-linked valves to ensure stable flight. The group estimates a 50 to 60 percent success rate for their balloons to travel more than a dozen miles into North Korean territory.

While the balloon flights are controversial in South Korea, with some residents concerned about the confrontational nature and potential risks, the activist group remains committed to their mission. They argue that delivering information on freedom is essential for the rights and freedom of the North Korean people.



South Korean activists fly ‘smart balloons’ further north

Earlier this year, a secretive group of activists in South Korea quietly released a so-called smart balloon into the night sky, with a course charted over the border into reclusive North Korea. It carried a sophisticated 15-pound payload. When the group launches them, they may include mechanical leaflet dispensers, bundles of speakers, or GPS trackers. The activist group has been developing these intricate devices since 2016, with regular launches since 2022. The group has not previously discussed its activities with the media. Once or twice a month from spring to fall, when the wind blows north, they launch the balloons with an aim to go deeper into the north, dropping thousands of leaflets and blasting recordings critical of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in a North Korean accent. This one is saying Kim Jong-un is a traitor that opposes the people and reunification. Balloon warfare between activists like these and the North took center stage late last month, when Pyongyang sent more than a thousand balloons south, most filled with garbage and reportedly manure. Pyongyang officials said these were retaliation for a propaganda campaign by North Korean defectors and activists in South Korea. The Seoul-based activist group that flies the smart balloons is among these groups. It's known as the Committee for Reform and Opening Up of JOSEN. JOSEN is often used as another name for North Korea. The group was founded by a North Korean defector and now has around 30 core members. They declined to be identified not only over worries they may face harassment from South Koreans critical of balloon activism, but also crackdowns from authorities or even reprisals by North Korean agents. This member said North Korea's recent behavior was seen as a sign the group's tactics are working. Kim Yo-jong recently said South Korea should experience how unpleasant, how tiring it is to clean up their trash balloons. And this means North Korea is admitting that our smart balloons were scattered over large parts of their country. In a small rented apartment in Seoul, the team uses 3D printers to build white plastic boxes and components. Most balloons contain devices pre-programmed to scatter 1,500 leaflets, 25 at a time, depending on flying conditions. Filled with hydrogen, the group's smart balloons stretch nearly 40 feet in length. Typical cargo might be six speakers to blast audio and six additional bundles, each containing a Bible and a shortwave radio. The group recently added altimeter-linked valves that prevent the balloons from going too high, which makes for a more stable flight. They estimate their balloons have a 50 to 60 percent success rate of going further than a dozen miles or so north of the border, with batteries that last for days. The flights are controversial in South Korea, with some residents arguing the balloons are confrontational and put them at risk. And with no way to independently verify where they land or what average North Koreans might think of the contents, it's a debate as to how effective they are. Despite all that, the committee said they have no plans to dial back their operation anytime soon. This should never be stopped. For the sake of the North Korean people and their freedom and rights, by delivering information on freedom.

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