How South Korea is making the ‘smart balloon’ sent to the North
Last Updated on June 12, 2024 4:03 pm
Back-and-forth balloon maneuvers are underway between North and South Korea. In response to Pyongyang’s trash-filled balloons, Seoul is sending special ‘smart balloons’ with leaflets and speakers. But how the balloons are prepared, the Karai-ba make them — that is what has recently come to light in a video released by the country’s activist group ‘The Committee for Reform and Opening Up Joseon’.
The ongoing tension on the Korean peninsula is not abating. The balloon scandal of the two countries has become a hot topic in the media. Since last month, North Korea has periodically sent hundreds of balloons filled with garbage to South Korea. In response, a group of activists in the south are now sending a novel ‘smart balloon’, capable of distributing hundreds of leaflets to various areas in the north. These leaflets contain various messages against the country’s ruler, Kim Jong Un. There are also speakers and a GPS tracker.
But how are these smart balloons made? According to the activist group in the south, each of these special balloons costs about one thousand dollars. This balloon carrying helium or hydrogen gas is capable of lifting up to seven and a half kg. They can distribute 1500 leaflets even in inclement weather including stormy winds.
A member of ‘The Committee for Reform and Opening Up Joseon’, who did not wish to be named, said, “We have not yet received any instructions from the government to stop sending balloons. And we shouldn’t stop. The people of North Korea have the right to know about their freedom.
The 30-member group of activist organizations work in a small rented apartment in Seoul. The cargo box and other parts attached to the balloon are manufactured with the help of 3D printers. The required devices are purchased from Chinese and South Korean e-commerce websites. A lantern-shaped speaker device is also kept in the box attached to the balloon. The main goal of the balloons is to reach Pyongyang. The balloons, which will be released from 2022, can go as far as dozens of kilometers from the border.