{"id":26966,"date":"2020-06-19T10:24:51","date_gmt":"2020-06-19T01:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=26966"},"modified":"2020-06-23T10:21:29","modified_gmt":"2020-06-23T01:21:29","slug":"vomk-report-107","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2020\/06\/19\/vomk-report-107\/","title":{"rendered":"Why we will continue sending Bibles by balloon into North Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”26957″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Park Sang Hak and I have almost nothing in common. His group,\u00a0Fighters for a Free North Korea, launches\u00a0political flyers\u00a0using\u00a0low-tech, low-altitude balloons. My group, Voice of the Martyrs Korea, launches Bibles\u00a0using\u00a0high-tech,\u00a0high-altitude balloons. My group launches the same content\u00a0year after year\u00a0and spends all our time and money on\u00a0technology to\u00a0make\u00a0launches safer and more accurate. His group uses the same technology\u00a0year after year\u00a0and spends all its time and money on developing new content to make his\u00a0flyers\u00a0as up-to-date and impactful as possible.\u00a0” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]But\u00a0<\/span><\/span>what\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Park Sang Hak and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>I share<\/span><\/span>\u00a0is a<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>non-negotiable\u00a0<\/span><\/span>vision<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Korea where\u00a0<\/span><\/span>ordinary\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Koreans<\/span><\/span>, north and south,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>are able to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>interact with each other\u00a0<\/span><\/span>directly,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>freely<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and fully<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>without\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>mediation\u00a0<\/span><\/span>of the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>state<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0And we are\u00a0<\/span><\/span>convinced that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>such a vision is so fundamental to Korean\u00a0<\/span><\/span>history<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and identity<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>yet\u00a0<\/span><\/span>by definition\u00a0<\/span><\/span>so incapable of being\u00a0<\/span><\/span>brought to reality by\u00a0<\/span><\/span>political structures<\/span><\/span>\u00a0alone<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>it<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>requires\u00a0<\/span><\/span>all\u00a0<\/span><\/span>of us\u00a0<\/span><\/span>ordinary people<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in Korea<\/span><\/span>, north and south,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>foreigner and citizen,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>freedom fighter\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and pastor,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>risk\u00a0<\/span><\/span>our lives and our property to bring it about<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]D<\/span><\/span>isintermediation\u2014<\/span><\/span>that is,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>excluding\u00a0<\/span><\/span>government<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>from the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>conversations and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>interactions\u00a0<\/span><\/span>between ordinary Korean people<\/span><\/span>\u2014is<\/span><\/span>\u00a0not the spirit of the Panmunjom Declaration<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The spirit of Panmunjom<\/span><\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>state mediation<\/span><\/span>\u00a0of relationships<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>through so-called<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>inter-Korean\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201cexchanges\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u2014<\/span><\/span>e.g.,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>cultural exchanges, sports exchanges,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>economic exchanges<\/span><\/span>. Such exchanges are\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to be<\/span><\/span>\u00a0arranged by the governments of the two Koreas<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>at<\/span><\/span>\u00a0the times and locations they consider appropriate.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0The participants in the exchanges\u00a0<\/span><\/span>will\u00a0<\/span><\/span>be\u00a0<\/span><\/span>those\u00a0<\/span><\/span>approved by the<\/span><\/span>ir respective<\/span><\/span>\u00a0state<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0The\u00a0<\/span><\/span>conversations and interactions\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>will\u00a0<\/span><\/span>take place in such exchanges\u00a0<\/span><\/span>will\u00a0<\/span><\/span>necessarily be\u00a0<\/span><\/span>suitable\u00a0<\/span><\/span>by government standards<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The north\/south family reunions\u00a0<\/span><\/span>may provide a glimpse of what relationship-by-exchange looks like.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]Th<\/span><\/span>e South Korean Ministry of Unification (MOU) first shared thi<\/span><\/span>s vision\u00a0<\/span><\/span>of exchanges with us\u00a0<\/span><\/span>at VOM Korea\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>May 2018, when they called\u00a0<\/span><\/span>us\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to insist that we discontinue our balloon launch<\/span><\/span>es.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>You should no longer launch Bibles, but if you follow\u00a0<\/span><\/span>our guidelines<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>perhaps\u00a0<\/span><\/span>one day soon\u00a0<\/span><\/span>you will be able to share your Bibles with North Koreans\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>cultural exchanges<\/span><\/span>\u00a0we will be arranging<\/span><\/span>,\u201d said the MOU official.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Now, two years later,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>b<\/span><\/span>alloon launching\u00a0<\/span><\/span>has been declared\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a crime<\/span><\/span>\u00a0in South Korea<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0It\u00a0<\/span><\/span>has been declared\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a crime not because it is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>inherently a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>dangerous activity<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>I<\/span><\/span>nstead, i<\/span><\/span>t has been declared a c<\/span><\/span>rime\u00a0<\/span><\/span>because<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>it is against the spirit of Panmunjom<\/span><\/span>, the spirit of state-mediated exchanges<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Balloon launching threatens both Pyongyang and Seoul because it contends that ordinary Korean people, south and north,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>neither\u00a0<\/span><\/span>need\u00a0<\/span><\/span>nor benefit from\u00a0<\/span><\/span>state<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>mediation\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in order\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0speak<\/span><\/span>\u00a0to one another<\/span><\/span>\u00a0meaningfully<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>advance\u00a0<\/span><\/span>their\u00a0<\/span><\/span>inter-personal interests<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”26923″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]North Korea\u00a0<\/span><\/span>has promised to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>re<\/span><\/span>taliate against\u00a0<\/span><\/span>balloon launching\u00a0<\/span><\/span>by committing\u00a0<\/span><\/span>criminal\u00a0<\/span><\/span>acts of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>mass\u00a0<\/span><\/span>violence against\u00a0<\/span><\/span>whole\u00a0<\/span><\/span>South Korean\u00a0<\/span><\/span>communities<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>In\u00a0<\/span><\/span>North Korean state anthropology<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>human<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a designation\u00a0<\/span><\/span>bestowed by the state<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in recognition of the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>recipient\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span>usefulness and loyalty\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to the state<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>It is a conditional designation, one that is revoked when the state determines that the recipient is no longer useful or\u00a0<\/span><\/span>loyal.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Thi<\/span><\/span>s is why<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Kim\u00a0<\/span>Yo<\/span>\u00a0Jong\u2019s description of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>North Korean defectors\u00a0<\/span><\/span>as\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201cmongrel dogs\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and \u201c<\/span><\/span>human scum hardly worth their value as human beings<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>not mere<\/span><\/span>\u00a0political rhetoric<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0It is a<\/span><\/span>n accurate expression\u00a0<\/span><\/span>of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>North Korean anthropology<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]It\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>also\u00a0<\/span><\/span>why North Korea can attack\u00a0<\/span><\/span>whole\u00a0<\/span><\/span>South Korean<\/span><\/span>\u00a0communities<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>In its reporting of the destruction of the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>North Korea\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span>KCNA said\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>those who have sheltered the scum<\/span><\/span>\u201d must \u201c<\/span><\/span>pay dearly for their crimes\u201d<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>I<\/span><\/span>f\u00a0<\/span><\/span>South Korean communities are\u00a0<\/span><\/span>harboring balloon launchers, then they are no longer useful or loyal to the Kim family<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and are thus legitimated as targets for destruction<\/span><\/span>. But if\u00a0<\/span><\/span>these\u00a0<\/span><\/span>communities<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>turn balloon launchers away<\/span><\/span>\u2014<\/span><\/span>and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>if they<\/span><\/span>\u00a0turn<\/span><\/span>\u00a0against balloon launchers themselves, treating\u00a0<\/span><\/span>us<\/span><\/span>\u00a0as potentially dangerous criminals\u2014then these South Korean communities\u00a0<\/span><\/span>can once again be regarded as human<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and thus spared\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the payment for their \u201ccrimes\u201d<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Th<\/span><\/span>us<\/span><\/span>\u00a0the<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>first \u201ccultural exchange\u201d of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the Panmunjom Declaration<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>has\u00a0<\/span><\/span>now\u00a0<\/span><\/span>taken place<\/span><\/span>:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>South Korea\u00a0<\/span><\/span>has\u00a0<\/span><\/span>exchange<\/span><\/span>d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0its definition of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>human<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0for the North Korea one<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0South Korean<\/span><\/span>\u00a0authorities\u00a0<\/span><\/span>now\u00a0<\/span><\/span>define us<\/span><\/span>\u00a0balloon launchers,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>not the North Korean state, as the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>criminals<\/span><\/span>\u00a0who threaten peace, safety, and prosperity<\/span><\/span>. Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee even speculate<\/span><\/span>s that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>our\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201cunforgiveable\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>motivation for\u00a0<\/span><\/span>launch<\/span><\/span>ing<\/span><\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to \u201cmake a little money\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>We\u00a0<\/span><\/span>launchers\u00a0<\/span><\/span>are no longer citizens\u00a0<\/span><\/span>upholding\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>vision of Korea where ordinary Koreans, north and south,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>are able to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0interact with each other directly, freely, and fully, without the mediation of the state.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Instead, because we\u00a0<\/span><\/span>uphold<\/span><\/span>\u00a0this vision<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0we are\u00a0<\/span><\/span>now\u00a0<\/span><\/span>criminals.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Th<\/span><\/span>ough it is now\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>balloon launchers who<\/span><\/span>\u00a0have committed \u201cunforgiveable\u201d crimes, soon it will be th<\/span><\/span>os<\/span><\/span>e\u00a0<\/span><\/span>of us who broadcast by radio into North Korea. That is because s<\/span><\/span>tate opposition to balloon launching is not an opposition to tactics but to anthropology.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Radio broadcast<\/span><\/span>ing<\/span><\/span>\u00a0upholds the same vision of direct contact between Koreans, north and south, without the mediation of the state.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Until\u00a0<\/span><\/span>governments\u00a0<\/span><\/span>medi<\/span><\/span>ate\u00a0<\/span><\/span>all\u00a0<\/span><\/span>interaction<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>\u00a0between ordinary Koreans<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0north and south, the Supreme Dignity\u2019s offense\u00a0<\/span><\/span>can never be cooled down.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This is why<\/span><\/span>\u00a0we launch Bibles<\/span><\/span>, and why we\u00a0<\/span><\/span>read the Bible on\u00a0<\/span><\/span>our radio programs<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The\u00a0<\/span><\/span>anthropology<\/span><\/span>\u00a0of the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Bible<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>one is human<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>not\u00a0<\/span><\/span>because one is loyal\u00a0<\/span><\/span>or\u00a0<\/span><\/span>useful to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>anyone<\/span><\/span>\u00a0but\u00a0<\/span><\/span>rather\u00a0<\/span><\/span>because one is created in the image of God<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0This is\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a<\/span><\/span>n unconditional\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201cimprint\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>of humanity\u00a0<\/span><\/span>which\u00a0<\/span><\/span>cannot\u00a0<\/span><\/span>be granted\u00a0<\/span><\/span>or regulated\u00a0<\/span><\/span>by\u00a0<\/span><\/span>states<\/span><\/span>\u00a0as a part of any \u201cexchange\u201d<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Governments are created by God to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>uphold that unconditional imprint, not to replace it with their own.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]It is an anthropology that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>poses equal challenge to the governments on both sides of the DMZ.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”26957″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Park Sang Hak and I have almost nothing in common. His group,\u00a0Fighters for a Free North Korea, launches\u00a0political flyers\u00a0using\u00a0low-tech, low-altitude balloons. My group, Voice of the Martyrs …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":26956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nk","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26966\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}