S. Korea mulls 'appropriate' steps over leaflets

By KH디지털2

Published : Oct. 13, 2014 - 15:28

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The South Korean government said Monday it is weighing "appropriate" measures to protect its nationals from North Korean threats over the scattering of leaflets critical of the communist regime.

The government, however, has no plans to take any forcible measures against the civilian-led spread of such leaflets across the border, according to unification ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol.

"As we said previously, there is no legal ground or relevant regulation to forcibly block the leaflet scattering as it is a matter to be handled by civilian groups on a voluntary basis," he said at a press briefing. "The government, which is in charge of the safety and security of our people, will instead push for appropriate steps to deal with the matter."

Lim pointed out the government has advised activists to refrain from sending leaflets into the North.

In the past, police have blocked activists planning to send leaflets from entering border regions in order to prevent possible clashes between them and local residents, he added.

Public concerns have sharply grown here over the controversial civilian campaign since the North opened fire at balloons carrying leaflets near the inter-Korean border last week. Some of the rounds landed in the South's territory.

The North's latest provocation demonstrated its sensitiveness to leaflets from the South, which apparently damage its authoritarian control of people there.

The two Koreas had conducted a "propaganda war" until a decade ago, trading a massive amount of leaflets and propaganda messages using loudspeakers near the border. The South's military and intelligence agencies abandoned the so-called psychological warfare on the North in June 2004, when the two sides agreed to stop slandering each other.

Anti-North Korea activists here, especially defectors, have since scattered leaflets across the border.

They float balloons carrying leaflets condemning the North's leader and human rights abuse as well as radios, DVDs, one dollar bills and other materials.

Still, only around 10 percent of them reportedly reach the hands of North Koreans.

South Korea's politicians asked activists to discontinue the leaflet campaign, saying it only aggravates inter-Korean relations.

"Related activists need to understand that leaflets will never change North Korea," said Rep. Moon Hee-sang, caretaker leader of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy. "The sole method to change North Korea is exchange and cooperation."

Kim Moo-sung, head of the ruling Saenuri Party, also said, "It's desirable to expand inter-Korean exchange and dialogue in the direction of not antagonizing North Korea."

Earlier Monday, North Korea repeated its calls for the South to take "substantive" steps to block leaflet launches.

The North's main newspaper Rodong Sinmun described it as the "worst obstacle" to inter-Korean ties and warned of larger military conflicts.

The scattering of such leaflets is a "grave hostile act" which exacerbates confrontation between the two Koreas and could lead to armed clashes and even war, the newspaper said in a commentary.

"The rash act of scattering leaflets has become the worst obstacle to north-south relations," it said. (Yonhap)

S. Korea mulls 'appropriate' steps over leaflets

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