South Korea sends chocolate treats into North Korea via balloons

By Nikki Dorrell

South Korea sends chocolate treats into North Korea via balloons
Activists go to great lengths to send Choco Pies across the border after the popular treat was banned

South Korean activists have launched balloons carrying thousands of packets of a coveted snack across the border with North Korea, after the popular treat had allegedly been banned by the government.

Around 200 anti-Pyongyang activists released 50 large helium balloons carrying 770 pounds of snacks, including 10,000 Choco Pies from a park in the bordering city of Paju.

The infamous Choco Pie is a chocolate-coated cake with marshmallow that was initially offered as a perk to North Koreans who were working in South Korean factories in the joint industrial zone of Kaesong.

As the treats became increasingly popular, demand was rising, which then spawned a black market, where Choco Pies were traded at a high price. By selling Choco Pies on the black market, workers were able to earn more than their wages.

Authorities in Pyongyang then ordered the factory owners to stop handing out Choco Pies.

In protest, activists believing Choco Pies were banned as a symbol of capitalism, “continue to send Choco Pies by balloons because it is still one of the most popular foodstuffs especially among hungry North Koreans,” activist Choo explains.

In addition to Choco Pies, south Korean activists also regularly launch balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border and apparently Pyongyang has repeatedly pushed Seoul to stop the activists, having even threatened to shell the launch sites.

Obviously we aren’t the only ones who love our chocolate.

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