Activists defy N. Korea, launch anti-Kim leaflets

South Korean activists Thursday launched tens of thousands of anti-regime leaflets across the border into North Korea, defying threats from Pyongyang to open fire on launch sites.

Members of Fighters for Free North Korea released gas-filled balloons which carried 200,000 leaflets containing news of Arab uprisings and calling for the overthrow of Kim Jong-Il's regime, the group leader said.

The 10 helium-filled balloons also carried hundreds of DVDs, USB flash drives and one-dollar bills, said Park Sang-Hak, the leader of the group of North Korean defectors in the South.

"We are not afraid of the North's threat and the village residents here have supported our activities for years," he told AFP, referring to Thursday's launch site at Gimpo on the western outskirts of Seoul. (read more)