… those in the Chosun of War reprehensibly release psychological warfare. For several years, private individuals in North Korean refugee groups have been releasing balloons from sites in the South. Carrying dissident literature and small consumer items, as well a Western currency, they release their subversive cargo over the North.
In January, Chosun Ilbo reported on the execution by firing squad of a North Korean woman who did not notify authorities when she found a leaflet, as well as a military official who had been pocketing the Western currency.
Now it is the latest threat of murderous petulance from Pyongyang: to fire on release locations in the South. This is ahead of a mass release planned for this weekend from Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, on the demarcation maritime line between North and South. This will mark the first anniversary of the Take Your Son to Work exercise which was the sinking of the RoKS Cheonan off the island.
Baengnyeong is part of the same island clump which includes Yeon Pyeong-do, scene of shelling by the North in November 2010. Although RoKAF fighter jets had arrived in minutes, there was a marked reluctance to return fire against the artillery positions which – had it not been for the coincidental arrival of a ferry on the other side of the island, as well as other villagers being at a vegetable market – could have killed many more than the two civilians and two Marines than it did.
Hopefully one of the throng of new readers to my pieces on the Hermit Kingdom could speculate on the likelihood of fire being returned, and whether the North’s histrionics would be taken to the next level or simply peter out when they are shown to be not impressing anyone anymore.
