Six Americans, aged 20 to 50, who were caught attempting to launch plastic bottles containing rice and Bibles into North Korea as part of a missionary effort, have all been released.
The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency’s Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Department announced on June 28th that they had released all six American men who were arrested for violating the national disaster management standard.
The group of six Americans was accused of trying to disperse over 1,300 two-liter plastic bottles filled with rice, 1 USD, and Bibles around 1:06 AM the previous day near Mangwoldondae in Hajeom-myeon, Ganghwa.
Mangwoldondae, a historical site at the western tip of Ganghwa Island, is believed to be a location from which bottles can reach North Korea during high tide.
The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency’s scientific investigation team is currently analyzing the seized plastic bottles and other items.
The police apprehended the group after receiving a report from a soldier stationed at a nearby military base who witnessed their activities.
All six individuals held American passports and were confirmed to have entered the country between 2 and 3 months prior.
Investigators discovered that the group had conspired to load the items onto a van and release them into the sea in a manner that would avoid detection by bystanders.
The leader of the group, a man in his 50s, was released around 3 PM the previous day after a consular meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. The remaining five were released in the early hours of the same day.
The police are examining potential connections with domestic and international organizations based on the group’s claim that they were dispersing the plastic bottles for missionary purposes.
A police official stated that this case does not require an arrest warrant, refusing to disclose any details of the ongoing investigation.
Ganghwa County has been under an administrative order prohibiting the distribution of leaflets and similar materials to North Korea since November of last year.