South Korea bans cross-border launch of propaganda leaflets in balloons

Police officers block vehicle containing anti-North Korea leaflets on road in Paju, near demilitarized zone, South Korea, Monday / AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

SEOUL, South Korea South Korea banned activists from launching anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the heavily fortified border into North Korea on Monday in an unusual move to halt their propaganda campaign.

North Korea's military said last week it would strike if South Korean activists carried out their plan to fly balloons carrying the leaflets across the border. South Korea pledged to retaliate if it was attacked.

Hundreds of South Korean police were mobilized to seal off roads to prevent activists and other people from entering a launch site near the border, police said. Before Monday's action, the government had implored activists to stop their campaign, but it cited freedom of speech in not making further attempts to intervene.

Residents near the launch site were also asked to evacuate to underground bunkers, according to local official Kim Jin-a.

North Korea has regularly issued similar threats without following through. But Seoul's Yonhap news agency reported Monday the entry ban was imposed as South Korea detected North Korea uncovering artillery muzzle covers and deploying troops at artillery fire positions in possible preparation for attack. Yonhap cited no source for the information.

South Korea's Defense Ministry said it couldn't confirm the report but said its troops have been placed on a high alert to cope with any potential North Korean aggression.

Dozens of activists, mostly North Korean defectors, planned to send about 200,000 leaflets critical of North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un and his country's nuclear weapons program.

Lead activist Park Sang-hak said the entry ban is tantamount to yielding to Pyongyang's threat and his group will try to find another place to float leaflets. "It's surrender. It's clearly surrender," he said.

Ties between the rival Koreas were badly strained after two deadly attacks blamed on North Korea killed 50 South Koreans in 2010.

The Korean Peninsula officially remains at war because an armed conflict in the 1950s ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

[john92021]

traditionally this has been done by radio, the USA being a leader in this field. North Koreans must be too poor to own radios. Balloons here are very symbolic in their visual message, controlling any media is counter productive.

[Lerianis4]

With all due respect, why would the South Koreans ban this and, by their constitution, is there any real justification in their law to do that?

[BWB2020]

It is clear that the Korean problem is an internal problem, if the two sides are irreconcilable, that is their problem, not ours. if some idiots want to launch acts of provocation against the other side, whatever happens as a result is their own fault, but "whatever happens" should happen without interference from any countries other than the two "Koreas".

Let them settle their own differences, or learn to accept and live with them.

[Lerianis4]

Problem is that North Korea has nukes. If they didn't have those, I am sure that the United States and most would allow things to play out as they should.

[nohater]

don't understand why south korea would allow some to provoke north korea. why poke a stick at a beehive? that aside, the USA along with U.N. and south korean forces could not defeat north korea during the korean war in the early 50s. north korea had china as its ally during that war. today, north and south korea are technically in a state of war since the cease fire ended the korean war.

[Lerianis4]

Because North Korea is a dictatorship that, while not being as bloodthirsty as some, needs to disappear.

[IPonUall2]

North Korea as a government is illegitimate and always has been.

Northern forces guided by the Chinese and Russians after WW2 prevented fair elections which divided the 2 sides.

This problem was created by them, and today should be demanding unification under UN observation.
Instead, we see the international political chess match which should have been settled long ago.

Just look at how that "government" has progressed it's peoples.
The average starving northern korean citizen is now 1 1/2 inches shorter than their cousin in the industrialized south.
They are totaly controlled from birth to death. Brainwashing the populace makes the north dangerous.
The leadership in the north should be concerned and should be negotiating for a peace and for unification with some power if they insist.

My father served in Korea. I wont settle for anything less.

[dobermantmacleod]

South Korea has been unwilling to suffer the expense of re-unification the way West Germany absorbed East Germany. As far as I'm concerned the South Korean government ought to be left to fend for itself rather than enabling them to live in denial. North Korea is a festering sore, and a clear and present danger to South Korea. The are clearly unable to win a sustained war, and furthermore will collapse like a rotten house if exposed to the stress of informing their citizens of the truth. Shame on the South Korean government for stifling the brave activists.

[Fill_F_Fill]

It is sort of a tough call, but I see South Korea acting a bit weak here. Especially if they are using their own police to curb the action.