DEFECTORS FOUND TO SENT PROPAGANDA LEAFLETS

[Anchor Lead]

A group of North Korean defectors secretly flew propaganda leaflets to North Korea from the city of Paju, Gyeonggi-do Province on Monday, despite the South Korean government's ban.

[Pkg]​

A balloon carrying a large banner soars into the dark sky. This footage was released by six members of the Fighters For Free North Korea. They claim to have secretly flown propaganda leaflets to the North from Paju, Gyeonggi-do Province, between 11 p.m. and midnight on Monday. The group says it flew 20 large baloons containing 500,000 leaflets, 500 booklets, two thousand one-dollar bills, and a thousand memory cards. One of the balloons was found in Hongcheon, Gangwon-do Province, on Tuesday. The banner attached to the balloon appears to be identical to the banners in the footage released by the group of North Korean defectors. But there were only about 80 leaflets. They were found about 70 km east of Paju. If the group did fly the balloon from Paju, westerly winds must have carried it to Hongcheon during the night.

[Soundbite] LEE BYUNG-YOO(REPORTED LEAFLETS FIRST) : "They looked like leaflets even at a glance. There were photos of Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo-jong, so I reported right away."

Authorities say given the direction of the wind, no leaflets could have reached the North. They also believe that the group's claim about one-dollar bills and 500,000 leaflets lacks credibility.

[Soundbite] (OFFICIAL FROM HONGCHEON POLICE AGENCY(VOICE ALTERED)) : "(Were there bills, too?) Not at all. There was a balloon, banner images and fewer than a hundred leaflets in a plastic bag."

The unification ministry has vowed to take stern actions against activists flying propaganda leaflets, saying such actions only exacerbate tensions between the two Koreas and jeopardize the safety of local residents.