North Korean Defector Booked for Violating Aviation Law by Launching Anti-North Korean Leaflets Weighing Over 2kg

Testified, "Launched Leaflets with an Organization Leader"
Criminal Penalties Possible, Including Fines Up to 5 Million Won

A North Korean defector who distributed anti-North Korean leaflets in the border area last September has been identified and booked by police following an investigation.

The Second Investigation Division of the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency announced on June 24 that they have booked a man in his 60s, identified as Mr. A, a North Korean defector, without detention on charges including violation of the Aviation Safety Act.

Mr. A is accused of attaching anti-North Korean leaflets weighing more than 2 kilograms to dozens of large balloons and sending them northward from the border area between Yeoncheon County in Gyeonggi Province and Cheorwon County in Gangwon Province on September 2, 2024.

Some of the balloons failed to cross into the North and were discovered by military authorities in the border area of Yeoncheon County on March 19, 2025. Police explained that they analyzed the movement routes of the balloons collected by the military using investigative tracking techniques and subsequently identified and booked Mr. A.

During police questioning, Mr. A reportedly stated, "Last year, I launched the leaflets together with the head of an organization." Under the current Aviation Safety Act, it is prohibited to launch unmanned free balloons carrying objects weighing more than 2 kilograms without official authorization. Violations are subject to criminal penalties, including fines of up to 5 million won.

A police official stated that they are currently investigating whether there were any additional accomplices or related offenses, adding, "We will continue the investigation to the end." According to the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency, a total of 37 reports related to anti-North Korean leaflets have been received since May 2024. Of these, two individuals from ten cases have been referred to the prosecution. Nine cases were closed without referral, and 18 cases are still under investigation.