Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
Conflict grows over 'leaflet' campaign
Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) chairman Adm. Choi Yoon-hee makes a report to lawmakers about the JCS’s activities during the National Assembly audit held at the Ministry of National Defense building in Seoul, Monday. He rebuffed speculation about the deteriorating health of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying “There are no problems for Kim in controlling the regime.” / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
Conflict in the South is growing in response to repeated launches of balloons filled with anti-North Korean leaflets over the inter-Korean border. A recent balloon launch led to an exchange of gunfire between the two Koreas.
Despite heightened military tension, activists ― led by North Korean defectors ― and some conservative civic groups are defending the leaflet campaign, saying it is an effective way of conveying the truth to the people of the reclusive state.
However, people living along the border ― especially in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province, which was affected by the recent hostilities ― are demanding an end to the balloon launches, saying they unnecessarily provoke the North and endanger the safety of South Koreans.
The conflict has been escalating since the reclusive state fired anti-aircraft guns at leaflet filled balloons on Friday afternoon, with some rounds landing in a residential area in Yeoncheon. This prompted South Korean Army border guards to return fire.
The North has demanded a halt to the sending of balloons, but Seoul has responded that it is a civilian matter in which the government cannot interfere.
The latest clash, along with another on Oct. 7 when naval vessels exchanged fire in the West Sea following the encroachment of a North Korean patrol boat over the maritime border, poured cold water on hopes of improved inter-Korean ties.
Just days before the clashes, on Oct. 4, there was a reconciliatory mood between the two Koreas when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s close confidants Hwang Pyong-so, Choe Ryong-hae and Kim Yang-gon made a surprise visit to the South to attend the closing ceremony of the Asian Games in Incheon.
However, Park Sang-hak, president of the nonprofit Fighters for Free North Korea, one of the most active groups spreading anti-Pyongyang leaflets, said he intended to continue the campaign, citing freedom of expression.
“The North fired machine guns at our propaganda balloons with the purpose of striking fear into the people in the South and causing conflicts among them,” he told reporters.
Last week, his group sent balloons carrying 200,000 leaflets from the border town of Paju to the isolated state. The leaflets belittled the North’s young leader, Kim Jong-un.
Lee Min-bok, a representative of the Campaign for Helping North Koreans in Direct Way, echoed Park’s words.
“Firing on a peaceful leaflet campaign is wrong,” he said.
It was Lee’s group that launched the balloons in Yeoncheon on Friday, provoking the North’s gunshots.
In response, Yeoncheon residents are arguing that people living in border villages are the biggest victims of the leaflet campaigns.
“We have been tolerating such campaigns so far, but after the latest exchange of fire, we will from now on strongly oppose the groups,” Yeoncheon resident Lim Jae-kwan told reporters.
Residents parked tractors and trucks in front of the village entrance on Saturday to prevent the anti-North Korean groups from entering.
Lawmakers from both the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy sided with the residents.
“Activists must refrain from carrying out their leaflet campaign, as it directly affects the safety of residents there,” said ruling party Chairman Kim Moo-sung. The opposition party’s interim leader, Rep. Moon Hee-sang, concurred.
Some experts called on the government to enact legislation to restrict the leaflet campaign.
“It has become very clear that the campaign threatens national security as well as hindering President Park’s inter-Korean policy,” said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the private Sejong Institute. “The government and the National Assembly should provide an institutional strategy to restrict the activities.”
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