Lee orders crackdown on anti-Pyongyang leaflet launches, warns of legal action

Choi Seong-ryong, head of the Association of the Families of Those Abducted by North Korea, and other members are seen launching anti-North Korea leaflets in April. /News1

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on June. 14 directed government ministries to implement both preventive and punitive measures in response to civic groups launching anti-North Korea leaflets across the border. The presidential office said it would enforce the law strictly against individuals and organizations found to be in violation.

“In the early hours of today, a civic group was confirmed to have released balloons carrying leaflets into North Korea from Ganghwa Island off Incheon,” Kang Yu-jung, spokesperson for the presidential office, said in a written briefing that afternoon. “President Lee instructed all relevant ministries to devise plans to prevent future launches and impose penalties after the fact.”

Reaffirming its position, the presidential office stated, “The Lee Jae-myung administration has consistently made clear that unlawful leaflet campaigns must cease, as they endanger the daily lives and safety of residents in border areas and risk escalating military tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Despite prior warnings, this incident is being taken very seriously.”

During a visit to border regions on June. 13, President Lee also addressed the issue directly in a meeting with local residents. “The Ministry of Unification has already called for an end to illegal leaflet launches,” he said. “If such warnings continue to be ignored, appropriate punishment must follow.”

The presidential office further noted that during a cabinet meeting on June. 10, President Lee instructed ministries to examine whether the launches constituted violations of existing laws, including the Aviation Safety Act, the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety, and the High-Pressure Gas Safety Control Act. “Accordingly, the Ministry of Unification will convene an interagency meeting on June. 16 to review and coordinate a comprehensive response,” the office said.

[Park Sang-ki]

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