By Kang Seung-woo
The suspension of the controversial anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaign is raising hopes for a thaw in icy inter-Korean relations, North Korea analysts said Tuesday.
The North has used the issue of propaganda leaflets sent across the border in balloons as an excuse for spurning calls for dialogue with the South.
Park Sang-hak, a defector-turned-activist, said Monday that he would stop launching the balloons.
“The suspension can prevent the two sides from clashing over the issue,” said Chang Yong-seok, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies of Seoul National University.
The two Koreas engaged in a war of words over the planned launch of balloons carrying DVDs of Sony’s movie “The Interview” and leaflets urging the North Korean people to revolt against their leader Kim Jong-un.
The film depicts the fictional assassination of the North Korean leader, and Park, along with conservative groups, intended to send them across the border Thursday _ the fifth anniversary of the sinking of the Navy frigate Cheonan in a North Korean torpedo attack in 2010.
The North threatened to shoot down the balloons; and in response the South said that any provocations would be responded to swiftly and sternly.
In October, the two countries exchanged machine-gun fire at the border town of Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province after the North shot down similar balloons.
“With the leaflet distribution stopped for the time being, this will ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, raised by the ongoing joint military exercises with the United States,” said professor Koh Yoo-hwan of Dongguk University.
Along with the suspension, the government also showed signs that it is ready to create a conciliatory mood for potential inter-Korean dialogue.
“The government will not financially support civic groups that send propaganda leaflets into the North,“ Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo was quoted as saying during Monday’s meeting with Chairman Moon Jae-in of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy.
“The government may have convinced Park and the civic groups not to send leaflets,” Koh said.
“In addition, the unification minister’s remarks mean the government is intent on fixing any hindrance to inter-Korean dialogue in the future.“
However, Chang said that there might be differences over the issue between the government and the ruling party.
“The Saenuri Party may disagree with the plan due to potential opposition from many conservative groups, which are the support base of the party,” he said.
“The government and the Saenuri party may have to hammer out their differences through negotiations.”
Analysts said that there may be some actions to improve the frayed relations on the peninsula after the end of the ROK-U.S joint military drills.
Key Resolve, a command-post exercise, came to an end on March 13, while Foal Eagle, a series of joint combined field training exercises, is scheduled to run through April 24.