Pie in the Sky

About 200 people gathered in Paju, South Korea, near North Korean border, to launch balloons. Fifty balloons were inflated and released carrying a total of 770 pounds of Choco Pies. It was both a political act and a gift to the people of North Korea, who have recently been barred from consuming the pies.

The pies, which are produced in South Korea, are wildly popular in North Korea. Fearful that the treats would encourage an uprising, Kim Jong-un reportedly banned Choco Pies from the country earlier this month. The pies, which have become something of a political statement, are viewed as a symbol of capitalism and represent a taste of the world outside North Korea.

South Koreans have sent DVDs and photographs by balloon before, to counteract propaganda in North Korea that the South is poverty-stricken. See pictures of the balloon release at Mashable. -via mental floss

(Image credit: Tomomarusan)