DNA Analysis- A Heated Interview

Within the past week, plans by South Korean activists have managed to give North Korean officials another reason to cry out "provocation", "declaration of war", and "merciless retaliation".  Why and how you might ask?  Over a movie.

I assume many of you have heard of the infamous movie known as The Interview, directed by Seth Rogen and starring him and James Franco.  The movie's plot centers around an elaborate plan launched by US intelligence to kill the Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, with Aaron Rappaport (Seth Rogen) and Dave Skylark (James Franco) as the two men chosen to perform the inside job of poisoning him.

The movie sparked an outcry from North Korean officials, stating that the US would faces merciless retaliation should they release it in theaters.  After such threats, the US experienced a mass hacking at Sony's expense, losing and exposing many files.  After the attack, many mainstream theater companies refused to show the movie, leading the movie to be pulled from them.  The movie is still available online, and surprisingly it did very well.  It made a total of $31 million in sales, with many reviews being well received.

But back on the topic at hand, a group of South Korean activists have planned to send 10,000 copies of the DVD and 500,000 propaganda leaflets on or around the border around March 26.  North Korea has threatened to shoot down the balloon and respond with merciless retaliation should they actually go through with the plot.

While many supported this action, many more opposed it.  Even the Unification Ministry of South Korea opposed it and took steps to prevent it, saying that the civilians' safety is their number one priority and that there is a limit to "freedom of speech".  Seoul has supported and insisted that the activists have the right to carry out such launches as a part of their democratic rights; however, they too have appealed for restraint to prevent overly provoking the North.  South Korean police already are tasked with preventing cross-border tensions, and see this as a major danger to nearby residents.

Geographically, there is not much to say about the region, location, place, or Human Environment Interaction that we do not already know about the Koreas.  The area has been hotly contested for generations, and while the ploy has good intent on the South side, its backlash would be too great a risk in my opinion for a region not only already on the edge, but peeking over that edge.  What do you think?  Is this worth the risk for the South Korean activists to carry out this propaganda movement?  Comment, I welcome your thoughts on this.