Ruling party calls for 'stern' response to illegal leaflet campaign against N. Korea
Democratic Party of Korea spokesperson Rep. Hwang Jung-a / Yonhap
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Sunday called for a "stern" response to a civic group's recent campaign to send anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets to North Korea.
DPK spokesperson Rep. Hwang Jung-a issued the call a day after a civic group launched leaflets from Ganghwa Island in Incheon, near the inter-Korean border, toward the North, despite repeated calls by the new Lee Jae-myung government to halt such campaigns, which have drawn strong protests from Pyongyang.
"The distribution of anti-North leaflets is a purely harmful and illegal act that threatens the daily lives and safety of border residents and escalates military tensions on the Korean Peninsula," Hwang said in a written briefing.
She warned that inter-Korean tensions, escalated by such campaigns, could destabilize not only the financial markets, but also economic fundamentals.
The spokesperson added that applying various safety-related laws, including the Aviation Safety Act, should be considered to impose stern punishments for such campaigns.
On Saturday, Lee ordered officials to come up with measures to prevent the launch of anti-Pyongyang leaflets in areas bordering North Korea.
Since taking office in early June, Lee has called for a halt to leaflet campaigns by civic groups and ordered the suspension of the military's anti-North loudspeaker broadcasts along the border, following through on his presidential campaign pledges to ease military tensions and seek dialogue with North Korea.