S. KOREA POLICE VIOLENTLY STOP PLAN TO 'BALLOON' RADIOS INTO N. KOREA (INJURY REPORTED) BREAKING

Free North Korea net ^ | 22 August 2003 | Free North Korea Net

[AmericanInTokyo]

The appeasing liberal government of President Roh Mu Hyon in S. Korea boldly interrupted a plan by anti-Communist Human Rights figures today to launch a number of tiny radios into North Korea from the South, in an effort to expose the people under Kim Jong il's murderous and criminal dictatorship, TRUTH from the outside world. Here is a flash report from the front line today in S. Korea (Friday afternoon East Coast Time):

"Flash! South Korean Police Battle North Korean Human Rights Activists Trying To Release Balloons, Cite 'Lack of Permit'. Activist Injured in Scuffle in Cholwon

(S. Korean) Police on Friday stopping Norbert Vollertsen, a German activist for North Koreans' human rights, from inflating balloons he and about 30 more activists planned to use to float 600 radios to North Korea from Cheolwon in Gangwon province.

Urgent news just arrived from Sin U Nam - It appears that the Roh government will do just about anything, including block the expression of free speech in their hopes of pleasing their seeming friend, mass murderer Kim Jong Il.

.......

Dr.Norbert Vollertsen and Rev. Doug Shin along with thirty other activists tried to float 200 balloons with 600 radios inside near DMZ at a place called Cholwon on August 22nd toNorth Korea. One battalion force of the South Korean police tried to stop the event charging them they did not have a permit. Vollertsen tried to carry on and got into physical struggle with the police. Vollertsen fell and broke his leg. He is in hospital now. (Chosun.com)

Comment from Sin U Nam which I agree with wholeheartedly:

Damn Roh and his South Korean police! They are working for Kim Jong-il. South Korean patriots burned the North Korean flag and an effigy of Kim Jong-il on Aug. 15th at their rally. Kim Jong-il threatened to boycott the Universiade Game in South Korea. Roh promptly apologized to Kim Jong-il. Kim accepted the apology, and sent the athletic team and cheer leaders to South Korea. One activist burned the NK flag in front of the Blue House on Aug. 20th. The SK police arrested him promptly." [END OF TEXT]

[AmericanInTokyo]

Photo of Dr. Vollertson, WHO LIVED IN NORTH KOREA and came out to expose them, is roughed up by S. Korean police as he tries to launch 'truth balloons' to North Korea

Incredible. The Government of South Korea, the liberal Roh Mu Hyon Adminstration, needs to be publicly embarrassed over this incident. Preventing people from getting a little bit of the TRUTH over the fence into closed-off, terrible North Korea. Shame on them!!!

[smith288]

Its for the best... Because if those balloons made it over there, it might cause sone N. Koreans to question authority. Wouldnt want that in the name of peace.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Ping.

Reprehensible.

We have to see if there is a way to make this catch fire in the US Congress or with the Administration. The S. Korean appeasing authorities have gone TOO far!

[.cnI redruM]

WHy are our soldiers still in S. Korea instead of in Japan and Taiwan?

[adaven]

Hast Du etwas Zeit fuer mich
Dann singe ich ein Lied fuer Dich
Von 99 Luftballons
Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont
Denkst Du vielleicht grad' an mich
Dann singe ich ein Lied fuer Dich
Von 99 Luftballons
Und dass sowas von sowas kommt

99 Luftballons
Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont
Hielt man fuer UFOs aus dem All
Darum schickte ein General
'ne Fliegerstaffel hinterher
Alarm zu geben, wenn's so waer
Dabei war'n da am Horizont nur 99 Luftballons

99 Duesenjaeger
Jeder war ein grosser Krieger
Hielten sich fuer Captain Kirk
Das gab ein grosses Feuerwerk
Die Nachbarn haben nichts gerafft
Und fuehlten sich gleich angemacht
Dabei schoss man am Horizont
Auf 99 Luftballons 99 Kriegsminister
Streichholz und Benzinkanister
Hielten sich fuer schlaue Leute
Witterten schon fette Beute
Riefen: Krieg und wollten Macht
Mann, wer haette das gedacht
Dass es einmal soweit kommt
Wegen 99 Luftballons

99 Jahre Krieg
Liessen keinen Platz fuer Sieger
Kriegsminister gibt's nicht mehr
Und auch keine Duesenflieger
Heute zieh ich meine Runden
Seh' die Welt in Truemmern liegen
Hab' 'nen Luftballon gefunden
Denk' an Dich und lass' ihn fliegen

[AmericanInTokyo]

Can we imagine any authorities, be they West German or US or NATO, or whomever, in the "West Sector" in Berlin kicking the cr*p out of people trying to simply float stuff (THE TRUTH) over the Berlin Wall into East Germany (which was done successfully and frequently back then)?

I swear, those Clintonite types in power in Seoul under Roh Mu Hyon (who do not have unanimous support of the S. Korean people) turn my stomach. Time to really ramp this story up and embarrass them. They do everything from beat up S. Korean anticommunists burning North Korean flags, prevent a very senior, old North Korean defector in S. Korea (Mr. Hwang) from going to the USA and Japan to speak before Congressional sessions on how to deal with North Korea, and now this.

[AmericanInTokyo]

well, here are some 'luftballoons' that did not make it, due to the minds of some pretty small men

[AmericanInTokyo]

Because President Bush, as predecessors, has continued to honor the US-Republic of Korea Mutual Defense Treaty.

[.cnI redruM]

The question before the table is whether or not Red Roh is equally diligent in honoring the same pact.

Also, I'd question whether policies pursued by Clinton towards N. Korea really and truely supported the spirit of this pact. Cancelling Team Spirit exercises is an immediate example that comes to mind.

[cake_crumb]

Wasn't his government accused of funneling money into N Korea via a car manufacturer recently? There was a suicide that resulted from it.

[montag813]

It must be said that these activists were quite stupid in announcing the balloons BEFORE they actually launched them. Too bad they didn't announce it AFTER they did so. Then the world could have been treated to the grotesque spectacle of the South Korean Air Force shooting down these little radios out of the sky, denying the North Korean people the truth. Such images would have been devastating to the pathetic S.K. government.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Good observation. The previous appeasing government in power in Seoul, also from the same S. Korean Liberal Democratic Party (Minjudang) of Kim Dae Jung--yes, they bribed off North Korea with millions in order to have a summit meeting. The transhipment points were through various companies. The President (Chung) of the subsidiary Hyundae Asan jumped to his death just about two weeks ago in Seoul from the downtown Hyundae Bldg....as he was implicated. But the current regime, too, is no doubt paying off North Korea and it is clear by their actions they want to crush any anti-communist outpouring in the South.

The prime opposition conservative Millenium Democratic Party (Hanaradang) is LIVID over this.

[blam]

"Wasn't his government accused of funneling money into N Korea via a car manufacturer recently? There was a suicide that resulted from it."

Yup, something close to $500 million if I remember correctly.

[AmericanInTokyo]

We are not their to protect the Government of Roh. We are there to honor our treaty and to protect the civilians of S. Korea (as well as 30,000 American civilians there as well). If there is a beef, it should be taken up with President Bush.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Quite obviously, South Korea's leadership is confused.
During the cold war, packages of small radios, shaving razors and other American consumer goods were floated into the Soviet Union with good results. President Roh needs some lead in his pencil.

[AmericanInTokyo]

They were not stupid and I don't know if our ill will should be reserved for them. They are the victims. And yes, they were simply mislead. They sought and received the APPROVAL of the S. Korean government, to follow all the rules.

Only then was a sudden, sneaky pearl harbour pulled on them, early in Chorlweon City, bu the authorities.

Still, I get your point. On can say: "fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me". Or: "once burned, twice careful." That is why I am suggesting an effort to fund a private vessel, and re-attempt these launches with ideal wind conditions, from the Yellow Sea off the coast, floating northeastward to North Korea. In international waters, they will be out of reach of the S. Korean appeasing, pro-Communist authorities. Still , they need to keep it classified from now and, and report only AFTER they have made the launches, otherwise N. Korea could send out a sub to sink them.

[DoughtyOne]

I've seen Dr. Vollertson talk about his experiences in North Korea.  It was quite impressive and I like the guy.  Some of his instincts are very good.  He's German and vowed to himself that he would not remain silent about what he saw in North Korea, like his German brothers who were silent about what took place in 1930s and 40s Germany.  So I do respect the guy.  That being said, isn't the intra-state decision making process the territory of the state department or it's equivelant?  While Vollertson may mean well, I'm not convinced his actions are appropriate.  The South Korean government should be the ones making the decision regarding this type of activity, not private citizens, or even visitors from a foreign state.

The mere presence of these radios in North Korean homes will more than likely sign the death warrants of those who have them.  The sending of them over the border would be deemed by North Korea to be a violation of their sovereignty.  It could cause a major incident.  If it could, and I believe it could, then the government at the very least should have the final say on whether they wish to confront North Korea in this manner, at this time or in this place.

During Vollertson's presentation that I observed, he talked about what little it took for the North Koreans to exterminate a whole family.  In light of this, I don't understand why he would attempt to send in radios.  Does he think the populace doesn't know something is rotten in the North?  Does he actually think these radios would cause the citizens of the north to rise up and oust their government?

The peoples of the north can barely walk.  They are starving.  They face a million man army that is spread out through the nation in a very controling police state manner.  What possible good could the radios represent to a North Korean national under these circumstances?

North Koreans will have to be rescued from the outside.  I'm convinced there isn't a prayer of them gaining freedom from within.  One step out of line and North Korea would make Tainiman (sp?) square look like child's play.

[AmericanInTokyo]

All well said and done, but the ROK launched (along with US troops) psy war via balloon into the DPRK for years, and vice versa, and nobody went to war over it. It's the game we play. We had the same situation vis a vis, communist Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Cuba.

Underground listeners taking risks already exist in North Korea among the elite, who surreptiously listen to outside world broadcasts. Foreign videos and newspapers are tricking into the northern border areas from China, which is freeking out the Korean Worker's Party and their secret police apparatus. The people there still, by and large, do not have a clue and are in a dream world. Nevertheless, and I cannot feel more strongly about this, reaching their mind is the first step in liberating them so they can eat and breathe free.

All this fundamentally equips the people with is the truth. The only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do NOTHING. Based on that fundamentals such as truth and information, you have the beginnings of a popular uprising which begins in the peoples minds, not stomachs, no matter how viewed as difficult or unfeasible at present. I say, keep up the efforts along with other tactics to weaken Pyongyang.

[cake_crumb]

"But the current regime, too, is no doubt paying off North Korea and it is clear by their actions they want to crush any anti-communist outpouring in the South."

Agreed.

[John Valentine]

Based on innumerable offhand comments I get from people who express reget that they ever voted for the man, I'd say that Roh Moo Hyun would not be elected if he were running today.

This latest fiasco won't help either. The consensus view seems to be that the man is a complete disaster.