Defectors launch leaflets into North Korea

Lift off near the Korean border.

These defectors living in South Korea hope their balloons will penetrate North Korea with information.

The balloons -- carrying 400,000 leaflets, 200 U.S. dollars and DVDs showing life in the South -- are being launched on the outskirts of Seoul ahead of the anniversary of the Korean War.

(SOUNDBITE) (Korean) NORTH KOREAN DEFECTOR, PARK SANG-HAK, SAYING:

"Tomorrow we will observe the 62nd anniversary of the invasion by North Korea's Kim Il-sung. North Korea has told its people that the 'U.S. imperialists and South Korean puppets' had invaded during the war, so on this occasion, we'd like to let North Korean people know it's not true."

The 1950-1953 Korean War began when communist North Korean troops launched a surprise attack across the 38th parallel into the South.

Three million were killed in the conflict, which ended in a truce without a peace treaty.

Lindsey Parietti, Reuters