6 Americans arrested in South Korea for trying to send Bibles, rice to North

Authorities in South Korea have detained six U.S. citizens who were allegedly trying to send bottles filled with rice, U.S. currency, and Bibles across the sea to North Korea.

The arrests occurred in the early hours of Friday near Ganghwa Island, a coastal area situated northwest of Seoul and close to the North Korean maritime border. Police said the group, aged between their 20s and 50s, was intercepted at around 1:03 a.m. as they attempted to launch thousands of plastic bottles into the sea.

“We have arrested and are questioning six American nationals in their 20s to 50s on suspicion of violating the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety,” said the head of the investigation team at Ganghwa Police Station in Incheon.

Because the Americans did not speak Korean, “an interpreter was provided for them and we have since started the questioning,” the officer added.

Ganghwa Island has frequently been used by activist groups and NGOs to send items across the border—ranging from rice and religious materials to USB drives loaded with K-pop and South Korean television shows. These cross-border efforts have long been viewed as provocative by Pyongyang.

In November last year, South Korean authorities classified several border regions, including Ganghwa Island, as restricted zones due to the security risks associated with launching such materials into North Korea.

Tensions escalated in 2024 when the two Koreas engaged in a propaganda standoff. In retaliation for anti-regime leaflets and materials sent via balloons from the South, North Korea released waves of garbage-laden balloons into the South. Seoul responded with loudspeaker broadcasts along the border, blaring music and international news.

North Korea, in turn, transmitted eerie and unsettling sounds that disturbed residents living near the frontier.

President Lee Jae-myung, who assumed office this month, has pledged a softer diplomatic tone toward the North. One of his first actions was halting the controversial loudspeaker broadcasts—a move that was reciprocated by Pyongyang the following day.