S Korean group floats balloons toward North amid animosities

By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korea activist says he launched more huge balloons carrying COVID-19 relief items toward North Korea. It came days after the North vowed to sternly deal with such activities and made a highly questionable claim that things floating across the border were a source of the virus. Some experts say blaming South Korean balloons might be North Korea’s way of trying to ease public complaints over its handling of the outbreak. The activists said the balloons floated Wednesday carried masks and vitamin C and fever-reducing tablets. Park is standing trial for a past leafleting campaign under a contentious South Korean law criminalizing such activities that took effect last year.