South Korea Charges US Pastor Over ‘Illegal’ Bible Balloons
By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News
(Worthy News) – An American pastor has appealed for prayers after Korean authorities launched criminal proceedings against him for sending Bible balloons across the border into North Korea.
South Korean police said Pastor Eric Foley and his mission group Voice of the Martyrs Korea (VOMK) should face charges mainly related to national security and border violation.
Foley, who works in South Korea, confirmed on social networking site Twitter that his case had been “referred to the Seoul prosecutor’s office.”
Speaking to Mission News Network, he said one of the charges was “ related to the violation of an inter-Korean exchange law,” which is “a law regulating commerce between North and South Korea.”
He claimed the laws are “designed for natural disaster management” but, in his case, are “being related to balloon launching with a charge that our activity created a national threat to Korea.” Foley added that the third charge is about “the use of high-pressure gas.”
South Korea started its crackdown in June after the sister of North Korea’s ruler Kim Jong Un expressed outrage over the helium balloons carrying Bibles or messages criticizing autocratic leadership.
Kim Yo Jung said North Korea would abandon a 2018 bilateral agreement with South Korea aimed at easing tensions if “the evil propaganda” continues to fly into her nation.
In response, the South Korean government took “immediate action” by targeting Christians involved in sending Bibles attached to balloons or hidden in floating rice bottles, said Voice Of the Martyrs (VOM) Canada.
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