A South Korean activist is threatening to distribute "The Interview" in North Korea by sending balloons carrying DVDs and USBs containing the Sony Pictures' film to the country. The North has banned the satire revolving around an assassination attempt on their dictator Kim Jong-un.
Activist Park Sang-hak is partnering with the US-based non-profit Human Rights Foundation, which will finance the making of the DVDs and USB memory sticks of the movie with Korean subtitles, reported Japan Times.
Sang-hak revealed on Wednesday that he will start dropping 1,00,000 DVDs and USBs with "The Interview" by sending balloons over North Korea from January clandestinely, before the pace picks up by March.
The representatives of the Foundation are also expected to visit him in South Korea around 20 January to hand over the devices personally, before floating the first batch over to the North.
"North Korea's absolute leadership will be crumble if the idolization of leader Kim breaks down," Sang-hak said. Sony Pictures' "The Interview" starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, belittles the tight regime and dictatorship of Jong-un.
The movie is at the centre of tension between North Korea and the United States. Washington had blamed Pyongyang for the crippling cyber attacks on Sony Pictures Entertainment and leaking highly guarded information on the internet, including scripts of upcoming pictures and digital prints of films that are yet to hit the theatres.
North Korea, however, has denied any involvement in the hacking incident, for which hackers belonging to the group "Guardians of Peace" have taken responsibility. The North has also vowed revenge on placing the blame of the hack on them.
The North Korean defector's plan, however, is not foolproof and its effectiveness remains to be seen. Ordinary North Korean citizens do not own computers or DVD players. Moreover, owning a computer requires permission from the government and costs as much as three months' salary for the average worker.
The Human Rights Foundation confirmed on its website that they are working with Sang-hak and that they will also be smuggling items through China and sending messages through radio transmissions to those who own illegal short wave radios in the North.
