Nat'l Assembly passes bill allowing police to intervene in anti-NK leaflet launches

An amendment to the Act on the Performance of Duties by Police Officers passes during a plenary session at the National Assembly, which would give police legal authority to block attempts to send anti-Pyongyang leaflets near border areas, Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap

The National Assembly passed Sunday a bill led by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) that would give police legal authority to block attempts to send anti-Pyongyang leaflets near border areas.

The amendment to the Act on the Performance of Duties by Police Officers allows police to intervene in the launch of leaflets near the inter-Korean border, aiming to prevent activities that could heighten tensions between the two Koreas.

The bill was passed at a plenary session, shortly after the main opposition People Power Party (PPP)'s filibuster ended through a vote 24 hours after it began.

The DPK has argued that the legislation is necessary to protect the safety of border residents and to help reduce military tensions, while the PPP opposed the bill, saying it infringes on freedom of expression.

The move follows the recent passage of a revision to the Aviation Safety Act, which bans the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles in restricted areas, effectively blocking the use of drones to distribute leaflets toward the North.

The legislation comes as the government seeks to ease military tensions along the border under President Lee Jae Myung's pledge to improve inter-Korean relations and resume dialogue with Pyongyang.

In South Korea, groups led by North Korean defectors have long sent balloons carrying leaflets criticizing the Pyongyang regime across the border, which repeatedly fueled tensions between the two Koreas.

In 2023, the Constitutional Court ruled that a previous government ban on launching the leaflets violated freedom of expression, finding that provisions of the Inter-Korean Relations Development Act imposed excessive restrictions on the right.