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yesterday

South Korea Probes Six Americans for Sending Rice, Bibles Toward North Korea

President Lee Jae Myung’s government is using safety regulations to prevent unapproved civilian shipments from restricted frontline zones.

FILE - A North Korean military guard post, left, and loudspeaker are seen from Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
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Members of North Korean defector group Kuensaem fill empty plastic bottles with rice and masks, during preparations for an event to send the bottles towards the North, in Seoul, South Korea, June 18, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

Overview

  • On June 27, South Korean police intercepted six US nationals attempting to release about 1,300 plastic bottles containing rice, one-dollar bills, Bibles and USB sticks into waters off Ganghwa Island.
  • The group is being investigated under the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety after operating in an area designated a danger zone since November 2024.
  • Authorities plan to question the Americans without detention and decide within 48 hours whether to seek an arrest warrant, relying on interpreters for communication.
  • Investigators have not yet examined the recovered USB sticks, leaving their contents unverified and raising questions about potential propaganda use.
  • Lee’s administration has halted anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts and is tightening enforcement against civilian campaigns to reduce the risk of cross-border tensions.