By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Two South Korean civic groups said Tuesday that they will continue to send anti-North Korea leaflets over the inter-Korean border by balloon, despite a government warning.
The announcement comes a day after the North announced plans to halt border-crossing railway services and tour programs.
The Fighters for Free North Korea (FFNK) and the Abductees' Family Union (AFU) originally announced a suspension of the activity for three months last week but have now reversed the decision.
``We intended to give both the South and North some time to revise policies and engage in inter-Korean talks,'' FFNK Chairman Park Sang-hak said.
``But the North proved (Monday) that there is nothing we can expect from them.''
He also urged Pyongyang to apologize for the killing of a South Korean tourist in July and stop criticizing the Seoul government. Park Wang-ja, a 53-year-old housewife, was shot dead by a North Korean soldier near Mt. Geumgang resort during a pre-dawn stroll. She is believed to have strayed into a restricted military zone in the North and failed to heed warnings to stop.
If North Korea remains silent over the abduction issue and displaced family reunions, the two organizations will fly more leaflets more frequently to the North, Park said.
``We are considering sending the leaflets three times a month in the winter and we are fully ready,'' said Park Sung-yong, president of the AFU. ``We will fly the leaflets after watching what action North Korea takes on Dec. 1.''
He also downplayed concerns over negative effects of the fliers, saying they just want the two Koreas to resume talks.
Choi, however, said that the two groups would suspend the activity if North Korea resumes talks with South Korea to discuss pending issues.
The North also plans to expel more than half of South Koreans from a joint industrial complex in the North Korean border city of Gaeseong and Mt. Geumgang resort this month.
The reclusive state contended that Seoul's repeated confrontational stance and ignoring of inter-Korean accords triggered the current situation.
Pyongyang has refused to hold talks with Seoul since the conservative Lee Myung-bak administration took office in February.