By Kang Seung-woo
The government said Thursday that it cannot prevent foreigners here from distributing anti-North Korea leaflets across the border.
“Freedom of expression is the most fundamental human right, so the government cannot restrict the campaign by foreigners as well as local residents,” said an official from the unification ministry.
He added that the government’s hands-off policy toward local group’s leaflet distributions applies equally to those led by foreigners.
His remarks come when Park Sang-hak, a North Korean defector-turned-activist, and some members of the U.S.-based Human Rights Foundation are planning to send balloons filled with DVDs of Sony’s “The Interview“ towards North Korea, raising concerns over increasing tension on the peninsula.
The film’s plot depicts the fictional assassination of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. They also flew 100,000 anti-North Korea leaflets across the inter-Korean border on Monday.
In addition, the American non-profit organization said that it is considering various technical methods with local activists to spread anti-regime leaflets in the North, including the employment of drones.
However, such joint campaigns have sparked controversy over whether their activities are legally permissible since the local immigration control law partly limits foreigners’ political activities here.
However, the official declined to comment on the issue, citing no relation to the ministry.
The launch of leaflets urging North Korean people to revolt against their dictator Kim Jong-un has been a hot-button issue between Seoul and Pyongyang.
The campaign thwarted a planned second round of inter-Korean high-level talks in November. It also led to an exchange of heavy machine-gun fire between the two countries in October.
Since the start of this year, the reclusive regime has strongly urged the South to ban the leaflet launch and stop the annual joint military exercises with the United States. In his New Year statement, Kim said he is open to a summit with the South. But the North has remained silent over the South’s dialogue offer on Dec. 29.
“The North appears to be trying to gain an edge in the bilateral relations at a time when inter-Korean dialogue is likely,” the official noted.
As tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been escalating due to the leaflet distribution, political groups, including the ruling Saenuri Party, have stepped up efforts to keep the campaign in check.
In addition, Uijeongbu District Court ruled earlier this month that authorities can restrict the scattering of the leaflets if it jeopardizes public safety amid the North’s threats of military retaliation.