"Are You Worrying About North Korea?" vs "It Doesn't Help National Interest" Leaflet Distribution to North Korea, What Do You Think?

Kim Yo-jong Strongly Condemns Leaflet Distribution to North Korea... Party, Government, and Cheong Support Opposing Leaflet Distribution
Opposition Party: "No Hope for North Korea Policy Focused Only on the North Korean Regime"

The North Korean defector organization, the Free North Korea Movement Alliance, announced on the 1st that on the 31st of last month, they sent 500,000 leaflets titled "Kim Jong-un Threatens to Launch New Strategic Nuclear Weapons," 50 booklets, 2,000 one-dollar bills, and 1,000 memory cards (SD cards) attached to 20 large balloons from Wolgot-ri and Seongdong-ri in Gimpo City toward North Korea. The photo shows the defector group distributing leaflets to North Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Kim Yo-jong, First Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of North Korea, condemned the sending of leaflets to North Korea by defector groups on the 4th. As the Blue House, government, and ruling party all expressed the position that the distribution of leaflets to North Korea must stop, the controversy surrounding this issue is intensifying.

Immediately, the opposition criticized the South Korean government, likening it to the North Korean government and raising the level of criticism. Some even harshly accused the government of being nothing less than a North Korean spokesperson.

The defector groups that distributed the leaflets declared they will continue to send leaflets criticizing North Korea, raising concerns that this could lead to conflicts in inter-Korean relations over leaflet distribution.

In a statement titled "Do Not Invite Trouble on Your Own," Kim Yo-jong warned, "If the South Korean authorities fail to take appropriate measures in response to the malicious noise directed at their own people, it should be fully prepared for consequences such as the complete dismantling of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which has been uselessly abandoned following the suspension of Mount Kumgang tourism, the closure of the North-South Joint Liaison Office, which only causes noise when it exists, or the nullification of the North-South military agreement."

Kim Yo-jong also launched harsh criticism, calling them "mongrel dogs." She pointed out, "Mongrel dogs are mongrel dogs, and since they roam around doing evil deeds, it is now time to hold their owners accountable."

Yeosang-gi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, is giving a briefing on North Korean leaflets at the government Seoul office briefing room on the morning of the 4th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Leaflet Distribution Called a 'Useless and Harmful Act'... Blue House, Government, and Ruling Party Oppose Leaflet Distribution to North Korea

The Blue House defined the distribution of leaflets to North Korea as a "useless and harmful act" and stated it would respond firmly. The government is preparing legislation to prevent leaflet distribution. Additionally, members of the Democratic Party of Korea expressed critical opinions about the leaflet distribution. Thus, the Blue House, government, and ruling party all showed opposition to the distribution of leaflets to North Korea.

Yeo Sang-gi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, explained at a regular briefing that "acts that threaten the lives and property of residents in border areas must stop" and that "effective measures to fundamentally improve tension-inducing acts in border areas are already under consideration."

Yeo added that since the Panmunjom Declaration on April 27, 2018, they have been reviewing institutional measures to prohibit acts such as leaflet distribution to North Korea and are preparing plans to revise related laws.

Democratic Party lawmakers unanimously called for an end to leaflet distribution. Yoon Gun-young, a Democratic Party lawmaker, urged the cessation of leaflet distribution in a post on his Facebook, stating, "The leaflet distribution by defector groups does not benefit the national interest of the Republic of Korea in any way."

He also criticized, "Leaflet distribution clearly violates the spirit of the Panmunjom Declaration and the Pyongyang Joint Declaration, which promised to create a Korean Peninsula that respects each other and coexists peacefully."

Lawmaker Han Jeong-ae said, "Although it is called freedom of expression, leaflet distribution is like mass dumping of garbage subject to regulation," pointing out that "most leaflets fall into the sea, causing marine pollution."

Lawmaker Kim Hong-gul said, "Would Kim Yo-jong, a close aide of Chairman Kim Jong-un, personally intervene over something as minor as leaflet distribution? This is not a threat but a signal that dialogue is possible."

Kim Yo-jong, First Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of Korea.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

◆ "Kim Yo-jong's Wrath Over Leaflets Leads to Unanimous Compliance"

Meanwhile, the opposition criticized the South Korean government, likening it to the North Korean government. Ji Seong-ho, a member of the Future United Party known for being a North Korean street child and for defecting on crutches, held a press conference with foreign reporters at the National Assembly Members' Office Building and strongly condemned Kim Yo-jong's statement.

Ji said, "There are 25 million people living in North Korea, and they have the right to know. Shouldn't they know that a former North Korean street child with a disability has become a member of the National Assembly in South Korea?" He added, "Considering the North Korean residents' right to know, leaflet distribution cannot be seen as a wrongful act."

Ji criticized the Ministry of Unification's review of legislation to forcibly stop leaflet distribution, saying, "A North Korea-focused policy has no hope."

He also said, "If we only block channels to inform North Korean residents without operating alternative means, we will face international criticism."

Professor Kim Geun-sik of Gyeongnam National University, affiliated with the Future United Party, posted on his Facebook on the 4th, saying, "The Blue House, Ministry of Unification, and Ministry of National Defense are acting in unison to comply with Kim Yo-jong's wrath over leaflets," and criticized, "Is this really the government of the Republic of Korea? It looks like a North Korean agency following Kim Yo-jong's orders."

Professor Kim pointed out, "The tension escalation due to leaflets was the case in 2014-2015 when North Korea fired anti-aircraft guns citing leaflet distribution as the reason," adding, "North Korea, which fired anti-aircraft guns toward the South, is the one escalating tensions and conducting military provocations. How can leaflet distribution be the cause of tension escalation? This is a reversal of cause and effect."

He continued, "The Blue House official's perception that leaflet distribution is a 'useless and harmful security threat' is truly surprising and dangerous," criticizing, "While leaflet distribution has side effects and its effectiveness is debatable, it is not useless. It instills a deadly fear in Kim Jong-un. Leaflet distribution that exposes the reality of the dictatorship and advocates for the human rights of North Korean residents threatens North Korea's security, not South Korea's. Is the Blue House official's concept of security aligned with the North Korean regime's security?"

Professor Kim said, "A North Korea policy that only seeks dialogue and cooperation by appeasing North Korea is wrong," and criticized, "There is a limit to tolerating and waiting while abandoning pride. There must be principles. Appeasing North Korea at the expense of South Korea's values and security is not what a nation should do."

On April 2, 2016, in the border area of Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, North Korean defector organizations such as the Free North Korea Movement Alliance were seen sending leaflets to North Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ "Is Kim Yo-jong the Chief of Staff of the Blue House?" Defector Group Plans to Distribute Leaflets to North Korea on the 25th

Amid the conflict between the ruling and opposition parties over leaflet distribution to North Korea, Park Sang-hak, head of the defector group Free North Korea Movement, expressed opposition in an interview with the media on the 4th, saying, "The Ministry of Unification, which said nothing when North Korean troops fired machine guns at our troops in the Demilitarized Zone recently, is now blaming us, citing harm to residents in border areas, just because of one word from Kim Yo-jong."

Park added, "In a free democratic country, there is a fundamental right called 'freedom of expression.' Who broke the military agreement and fired machine guns at soldiers? We have quietly sent leaflets peacefully for 15 years. Who broke the peace?"

He fiercely criticized, "I am more angry at our government's response than at Kim Yo-jong. Is Kim Yo-jong a citizen of the Republic of Korea? Is she the Chief of Staff of the Blue House?"

Park stated that the leaflet distribution is funded by public donations and announced plans to continue distributing one million leaflets to North Korea on the 25th.

Earlier, on the morning of the 31st of last month, the group sent 500,000 leaflets to North Korea from Seongdong-ri, Wolgot-myeon, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi Province, attached to 20 large balloons. The leaflets bore the message "Kim Jong-un threatens to launch new strategic nuclear weapons," along with 500 booklets, 2,000 one-dollar bills, and 1,000 SD cards.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.