Six Americans Arrested for Attempting to Send 1,300 PET Bottles Toward North Korea from Ganghwado

PET Bottles Containing Rice, One-Dollar Bills, and Bibles
"We Do Not Speak Korean Well... Investigation to Be Conducted with an Interpreter"

Six American citizens were apprehended by police while attempting to launch PET bottles filled with rice toward the North from Ganghwado, Incheon, which has been designated as a restricted area.

The Ganghwa Police Station in Incheon announced on June 27 that it had arrested and is investigating six Americans in their 20s to 50s, including individual A, on suspicion of violating the Framework Act on Disaster and Safety Management.

At approximately 1:06 a.m. on this day, A and the others are suspected of attempting to float around 1,300 PET bottles containing rice, one-dollar bills, and Bibles into the sea from Mangwoldondae in Hajeom-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon.

It was reported that a nearby military unit, while monitoring the coastline, detected their attempt and notified the police. A police official stated, "Since A and the others do not speak Korean well, we plan to investigate the specific details of the case with the help of an interpreter."

There was also a similar case last year involving PET bottles filled with rice being sent north. On November 3 last year, at around 7:07 a.m., a man in his 50s, identified as B, was caught throwing 120 PET bottles, each containing 1.8 liters of rice, into the sea from Seokmo Bridge in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon. Ganghwa-gun reported B to the investigative authorities on suspicion of violating the Framework Act on Disaster and Safety Management. It was confirmed that B was wearing work clothes and a safety helmet while throwing the PET bottles from the bridge.

Ganghwa-gun has been designated as a restricted area since November last year, and an administrative order prohibiting the distribution of leaflets toward North Korea is currently in effect.