Latest news with #FrameworkActontheManagementofDisastersandSafety
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Americans trying to send Bibles to N. Korea arrested
Police arrested six US nationals attempting to send plastic bottles packed with rice and Bibles to North Korea, the head of the investigation team said. Local police said the six were trying to send thousands of plastic bottles, filled with rice, one-dollar bills and Bibles, into the sea off Ganghwa Island at 1.03am yesterday when they were caught. 'We have arrested and are questioning six American nationals in their 20s to 50s on suspicion of violating the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety,' the head of the investigation team at Ganghwa Police Station in Incheon said. The Americans could not speak Korean, so 'an interpreter was provided for them and we have since started the questioning,' he added. Located northwest of Seoul, Ganghwa Island is one of the closest South Korean territories to North Korea, with some parts of the surrounding sea lying just 10km from the maritime border between the two countries. The island has long been a popular site for non-profit organisations and anti-North Korean groups to launch plastic bottles filled with rice, as well as USB sticks containing K-pop and South Korean dramas. The area was designated a danger zone last November, along with other border regions where activists launch balloons carrying leaflets. Last year, the two Koreas were in a tit-for-tat propaganda war, as the North sent thousands of trash-filled balloons southwards, saying they were retaliation for propaganda balloons launched by South Korean activists. In response, Seoul turned on border loudspeaker broadcasts –including K-pop tunes and international news – and North Korea started transmitting bizarre, unsettling noises along the frontier that had been a major nuisance for South Korean residents in the area. South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung has vowed a more dovish approach towards Pyongyang and has halted the loudspeaker broadcasts, which North Korea, in return, stopped the following day. — AFP
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Americans arrested in South Korea for sending Bibles to North Korea
SEOUL: South Korean police on Friday arrested six US nationals attempting to send plastic bottles packed with rice and Bibles to North Korea, the head of the investigation team said. Local police said the six were trying to send thousands of plastic bottles, filled with rice, one-dollar bills and Bibles, into the sea off Ganghwa Island at 1:03 am on Friday when they were caught. 'We have arrested and are questioning six American nationals in their 20s to 50s on suspicion of violating the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety,' the head of the investigation team at Ganghwa Police Station in Incheon told AFP. The Americans could not speak Korean, so 'an interpreter was provided for them and we have since started the questioning,' he added. Located northwest of Seoul, Ganghwa Island is one of the closest South Korean territories to North Korea, with some parts of the surrounding sea lying just 10 kilometres (six miles) from the maritime border between the two countries. The island has long been a popular site for non-profit organisations and anti-North Korean groups to launch plastic bottles filled with rice, as well as USB sticks containing K-pop and South Korean dramas. The area was designated a danger zone last November, along with other border regions where activists launch balloons carrying leaflets. At the time, the government said such activities could be perceived by the North as provocative. Last year, the two Koreas were in a tit-for-tat propaganda war, as the North sent thousands of trash-filled balloons southwards, saying they were retaliation for propaganda balloons launched by South Korean activists. In response, Seoul turned on border loudspeaker broadcasts -- including K-pop tunes and international news -- and North Korea started transmitting bizarre, unsettling noises along the frontier that had been a major nuisance for South Korean residents in the area. South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung, who took office this month, has vowed a more dovish approach towards Pyongyang and has halted the loudspeaker broadcasts, which North Korea, in return, stopped the following day.
Roya News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Six US citizens arrested in South Korea for attempting to send rice, Bibles to North Korea
South Korean authorities arrested six American nationals early Friday for trying to send plastic bottles filled with rice, one-dollar bills, and Bibles into North Korea from the country's western coast, police confirmed. The group, all US citizens between their 20s and 50s, was intercepted while launching the bottles from Ganghwa Island, located just northwest of Seoul and one of the South's closest points to North Korea. 'We have arrested and are questioning six American nationals... on suspicion of violating the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety,' the lead investigator from Ganghwa Police Station in Incheon told Agence France-Presse (AFP). The Americans reportedly did not speak Korean, so police provided interpreters during the ongoing interrogation process. Ganghwa Island, sitting just 10km from North Korean waters, has long been used by activist groups and NGOs to float items like rice, USB drives containing South Korean dramas and K-pop, and religious materials toward the North. But the South Korean government designated the area a danger zone last November, warning that such acts could be seen as provocative by Pyongyang. The arrests come amid recent efforts by South Korea's new president, Lee Jae Myung, to dial down tensions with the North. Since taking office earlier this month, Lee has ended the use of loudspeaker broadcasts along the border, propaganda tactics that were reignited last year during a heated exchange between the two Koreas. In response to anti-North leaflets and media sent by balloon from the South, Pyongyang had launched thousands of trash-filled balloons into the South and broadcast eerie sounds across the border. Following Lee's decision to cease broadcasts, North Korea stopped its own psychological operations the next day, suggesting a fragile but active attempt to reduce hostilities. While the arrested Americans' motives have not been formally disclosed, similar past incidents have involved Christian groups attempting to send humanitarian and religious materials into the North, where both are strictly forbidden. It remains unclear what legal consequences the six may face, but South Korean law has grown stricter in recent years concerning unauthorized cross-border activism, especially those deemed a risk to public safety or national security.
Korea Herald
14-05-2025
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Confused command leaves South Korea unprepared as wildfires spread out of control: report
From 2010-2020, average area scorched by wildfires in South Korea grew 7.8 times bigger, large-scale fires more than tripled As South Korea recovers from its worst wildfire disaster on record, a National Assembly report warns that a fragmented and confusing command structure left firefighting efforts slow and disorganized. In March more than 20 wildfires broke out across the peninsula's southeastern Gyeongsang provinces, fueled by strong winds and dry weather. The fires burned over 104,000 hectares of forest, killed 31 people, and damaged nearly 8,000 homes and facilities. Also affected were 33 cultural heritage sites, including centuries-old temples. It was the most destructive wildfire event in South Korea's history. A report from the National Assembly Research Service published earlier this month points to a key vulnerability in the country's disaster command structure. Under current law, responsibility for wildfire response shifts depending on the size and spread of the fire. The Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety designates the national Korea Forest Service as the lead agency. But the Forest Protection Act assigns command to local mayors or governors, depending on the fire's size and location. This dual system creates delays and confusion, particularly in the early stages of a wildfire when quick decisions are critical. In the southeastern Uiseong and Yeongdeok regions, emergency orders were reportedly inconsistent, and firefighting efforts were slowed by coordination problems between local officials, the KFS and the National Fire Agency. Wildfires are currently managed through a 13-level response system based on area burned, wind speed and duration. In the initial stages, local authorities can only deploy 50 personnel and limited equipment according to the current law. They must wait for the situation to escalate before receiving outside reinforcement, an approach the report pinpoints as ineffective in fast-moving scenarios. Yoo Jae-beom, the legislative researcher behind the report specializing in the forestry sector, recommends simplifying this system to two or three tiers and transferring early-stage command to either the forest authority, fire response authority or provincial governments. He also supports establishing joint regional wildfire command centers to ensure faster coordination across agencies. Other data cited in the report suggest damage has been growing even before the March wildfires. The average area burned by wildfires in 2020 increased 7.8 times compared to 2010. The number of large-scale wildfires, which are defined as fires damaging over 1 million square meters, has more than tripled (3.7 times). The report also raises concerns over weak enforcement of fire prevention laws. Between 2019 and 2023, fewer than 20 percent of individuals apprehended for starting wildfires, whether through arson or negligence, received jail time or fines. The average fine issued in 2023 was just 2.8 million won (about $2,000). "The fire season now begins in winter, spreads faster in spring and burns more land than ever before," said the research. "Unless we align laws, restructure response systems and invest in fire-resilient forests, the scale of disaster will only grow." mjh@
Korea Herald
14-05-2025
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Confused command leaves South Korea unprepared as wildfires spread out of control: report
From 2010-2020, average area scorched by wildfires in South Korea grew 7.8 times bigger, large-scale fires more than tripled As South Korea recovers from its worst wildfire disaster on record, a National Assembly report warns that a fragmented and confusing command structure left firefighting efforts slow and disorganized. In March more than 20 wildfires broke out across the peninsula's southeastern Gyeongsang provinces, fueled by strong winds and dry weather. The fires burned over 104,000 hectares of forest, killed 31 people, and damaged nearly 8,000 homes and facilities. Also affected were 33 cultural heritage sites, including centuries-old temples. It was the most destructive wildfire event in South Korea's history. A report from the National Assembly Research Service published earlier this month points to a key vulnerability in the country's disaster command structure. Under current law, responsibility for wildfire response shifts depending on the size and spread of the fire. The Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety designates the national Korea Forest Service as the lead agency. But the Forest Protection Act assigns command to local mayors or governors, depending on the fire's size and location. This dual system creates delays and confusion, particularly in the early stages of a wildfire when quick decisions are critical. In the southeastern Uiseong and Yeongdeok regions, emergency orders were reportedly inconsistent, and firefighting efforts were slowed by coordination problems between local officials, the KFS and the National Fire Agency. Wildfires are currently managed through a 13-level response system based on area burned, wind speed and duration. In the initial stages, local authorities can only deploy 50 personnel and limited equipment according to the current law. They must wait for the situation to escalate before receiving outside reinforcement, an approach the report pinpoints as ineffective in fast-moving scenarios. Yoo Jae-beom, the legislative researcher behind the report specializing in the forestry sector, recommends simplifying this system to two or three tiers and transferring early-stage command to either the forest authority, fire response authority or provincial governments. He also supports establishing joint regional wildfire command centers to ensure faster coordination across agencies. Other data cited in the report suggest damage has been growing even before the March wildfires. The average area burned by wildfires in 2020 increased 7.8 times compared to 2010. The number of large-scale wildfires, which are defined as fires damaging over 1 million square meters, has more than tripled (3.7 times). The report also raises concerns over weak enforcement of fire prevention laws. Between 2019 and 2023, fewer than 20 percent of individuals apprehended for starting wildfires, whether through arson or negligence, received jail time or fines. The average fine issued in 2023 was just 2.8 million won (about $2,000). "The fire season now begins in winter, spreads faster in spring and burns more land than ever before," said the research. "Unless we align laws, restructure response systems and invest in fire-resilient forests, the scale of disaster will only grow."
