South Korea Sends 'Banned' Choco Pies To North Korea By Helium Balloon

South Korea Sends 'Banned' Choco Pies To North Korea By Helium Balloon

Choco Pies are a South Korean chocolate snack filled with marshmallow, somewhat similar to Wagon Wheels.

They became popular among North Koreans working in the demilitarized zone in South Korea and soon served as currency for overtime as legal restrictions meant employees from the Communist state could not be paid cash bonuses.

Activists released 50 balloons of Choco Pies across the border on Wednesday

According to the Independent, the snacks soon became a sensation among workers who realised they could take them back to Pyongyang and sell them on the black market for several times their original price.

In May, the North Korean authorities asked the factory to stop handing out Choco Pies and replace them with other items including powdered coffee and sausages, Korea Bizwire writes.

“Embarrassed by the growing popularity of Choco Pie, North Korea banned it as a symbol of capitalism,” organiser Choo Sun-Hee told AFP.

He added: “We will continue to send Choco Pie by balloons because it is still one of the most popular foodstuffs especially among hungry North Koreans.”

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