Defector to launch balloons toward North Korea after being attacked in Seoul



News Defector to launch balloons toward North Korea after being attacked in Seoul Park Sang-hak says attacker broke his arm with metal pipe, in what report suggests was attempt to ‘punish’ activist Ifang Bremer \| Jeongmin Kim \| Sojin Jung August 24, 2022 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Park Sang-hak holds a balloon carrying anti-DPRK leaflets sometime between April 25 and 26, 2022 \| Image: Park Sang-hak of Fighters for Free North Korea The prominent North Korean defector activist Park Sang-hak says he plans to launch more balloons carrying COVID-19 aid toward the DPRK “in the coming days,” even after a man attacked him with a metal pipe in central Seoul last week. In a phone interview with NK News, Park confirmed that the attack happened during a large protest by conservative groups in Gwanghwamun Square on Aug. 15. The activist said he was hospitalized with a broken arm and discharged a week later on Monday. “It would have been fatal if that metal pipe hit my head. I broke my arm © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update & Podcast Updates Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

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Defector to launch balloons toward North Korea after being attacked in Seoul

Park Sang-hak says attacker broke his arm with metal pipe, in what report suggests was attempt to ‘punish’ activist

Ifang Bremer | Jeongmin Kim | Sojin Jung August 24, 2022

Defector to launch balloons toward North Korea after being attacked in Seoul

Park Sang-hak holds a balloon carrying anti-DPRK leaflets sometime between April 25 and 26, 2022 | Image: Park Sang-hak of Fighters for Free North Korea

The prominent North Korean defector activist Park Sang-hak says he plans to launch more balloons carrying COVID-19 aid toward the DPRK “in the coming days,” even after a man attacked him with a metal pipe in central Seoul last week.

In a phone interview with NK News, Park confirmed that the attack happened during a large protest by conservative groups in Gwanghwamun Square on Aug. 15. The activist said he was hospitalized with a broken arm and discharged a week later on Monday.

“It would have been fatal if that metal pipe hit my head. I broke my arm

About the Authors

Ifang Bremer

Ifang Bremer is a former Seoul Correspondent at NK News. He has worked on investigations for The Guardian and The Observer and previously wrote features on Korea for Dutch newspaper NRC.

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Jeongmin Kim

Jeongmin Kim is Executive Director at Korea Risk Group, based in Seoul. She covers inter-Korean relations and North and South Korean foreign and military affairs. Kim has covered the 2022 ROK presidential election on the ground, and prior to joining NK News, she worked for the CSIS Korea Chair in Washington D.C. and Reuters news agency’s Seoul bureau.

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