Northfield High School Graduate Sends Hope, Relief to North Korea

graduate Brianna Hee-Young Bengtson is sending hope and health to the people of North Korea in a most unusual way—by balloon.

Bengtson is on the planning committee of North Korea Peace, a relief organization based out of Seoul, South Korea, that floats boxes of socks across the North Korean border by attaching them to hydrogen-filled plastic tunnels.

“We would like to see the international community rise up to support the people of North Korea,” Bengtson wrote in an email to Northfield Patch.

Bengtson was adopted from Korea when she was 4 months old. She was raised in the United States, but moved to Seoul in July 2007 to experience her birth country’s language and culture.

In Seoul, she was introduced to North Korea Peace by friends and co-workers who were involved in the organization.

North Korea Peace is made up of activists from all over the world. On the last Saturday of every month, the organization launches several balloons across the border, a box of socks attached to each one. 

The boxes are tied with string, which is attached to a timer. After three hours of travel, the timer releases the string, sending thousands of socks tumbling to North Korean ground.

Once found, the socks can be worn or sold. Socks are a rare and valuable commodity in North Korea, where many have lost toes or feet due to improper protection against the cold. The market value of a pair of socks in North Korea is $10, which is equivalent to 10 kg—or one month’s worth—of corn.

“This is the only certain way that aid reaches the people—through balloons,” said South Korean activist Cessilia Bosung Park in an article in The Korea Herald.

Other organizations have used balloons to send propaganda to North Korea. However, possession of such materials can lead to danger and imprisonment if discovered.

There is also suspicion that funds sent to North Korea for relief have been used for government and military spending, said Bengtson. South Korea sent $6 billion to their neighboring nation, but a survey of North Korean defectors revealed that few had heard of the money and none had seen it.

“Blindly sending aid is not the answer,” said Bengtson.

North Korea Peace’s balloon launches have garnered significant attention.

The events attract international activists from nations such as Thailand, Austria and South Africa. The launches have also been covered by major media outlets, such as The Huffington Post, USA Today and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Bengtson and her fellow activists provide immediate aid, while bringing a serious international issue to light, from North Korea to Northfield.