SEOUL — South Korean police have arrested six American nationals who were caught attempting to send plastic bottles filled with rice, U.S. dollar bills, and Christian Bibles into North Korea, authorities confirmed on Friday, June 27, 2025.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday morning around 1:03 a.m. near Ganghwa Island, Incheon, a region located northwest of Seoul and close to the North Korean maritime border.
According to a statement by the head of the investigation team at Ganghwa Police Station, the individuals—ranging in age from their 20s to 50s—were intercepted while trying to release thousands of plastic bottles into the sea. Authorities say the action violated South Korea’s Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety.
“We have arrested and are currently questioning six American nationals,” the police official said. “They could not speak Korean, so we have provided an interpreter to assist in the investigation.”
Ganghwa Island has long served as a launch point for South Korean activists and Christian groups attempting to send materials into the North. The contents often include rice, information on South Korean culture, Bible literature, and USB drives with music and news.
The motive behind the Americans’ actions has not been officially confirmed, and it remains unclear whether they were working independently or on behalf of an organization.
South Korean authorities have tightened regulations in recent years on cross-border balloon and bottle campaigns, citing both safety concerns and the potential to escalate tensions with North Korea.
The investigation is ongoing.