Choi Jong-hwan: "Distributing Leaflets to North Korea Threatens 13 Million Residents... Will Respond Strongly"

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Min Jun-young] Recently, regarding a domestic North Korean defector organization’s warning to distribute leaflets to North Korea, Choi Jong-hwan, mayor of Paju City, Gyeonggi Province, criticized the act as "very irrational and an action that threatens the safety of the governor representing 13 million residents and the people."

In an interview on the 22nd with YTN Radio's 'Noh Young-hee's Start of a New Morning,' Mayor Choi said, "I believe that if defector groups distribute leaflets to North Korea, they should be strictly controlled and punished according to the law."

He added, "Gyeonggi Province has already applied the Basic Disaster and Safety Management Act to designate the entire border area, including Paju, as a danger zone to prevent leaflet distribution to North Korea and has issued administrative orders. Distributing leaflets to North Korea threatens national security and poses a significant threat to residents' survival. Therefore, this reckless leaflet distribution, which sacrifices residents' lives, safety, and right to survival, must be stopped, and we are responding strongly."

He continued, "Military units, police, and Paju City are cooperating to control access 24 hours a day to prevent defector groups from approaching to distribute leaflets to North Korea,

and we are on alert 24 hours a day to prevent the transport or import of materials necessary for leaflet distribution."

He stated, "Some thoughtless groups distributing leaflets to North Korea are suspected even within defector organizations of conducting a kind of noise marketing."

He further pointed out, "Many view this leaflet distribution not as a genuine effort to improve human rights in North Korea or inter-Korean relations but as a reckless gamble that sacrifices the safety of the Korean Peninsula and residents' right to survival for the purpose of enhancing the status of defector groups and promoting their projects through noise marketing."

Mayor Choi also said that North Korea should immediately stop its warnings to distribute leaflets to South Korea.

He said, "It is very inappropriate for North Korean authorities to respond to the thoughtless leaflet distribution by some South Korean defector groups by threatening to distribute leaflets to South Korea. This is not in line with the spirit of the April 27 Inter-Korean Summit, and it is illogical for North Korea to respond in this way to the reckless leaflet distribution by our defector groups."

Finally, he said, "If our military units, police, and local government residents unite to completely block leaflet distribution to North Korea in our area and avoid provoking North Korea further, there may still be room for North Korea to stop its leaflet distribution to South Korea."

He added, "North Korea seemed to attach the condition 'if approved by the leadership.' Interpreting this condition suggests that since final approval has not yet been given, if we strongly crack down on leaflet distribution in our area and avoid provoking North Korea, North Korea may make a rational and wise decision to halt provocations."

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