Democratic Party Draws Line Against U.S. Criticism of North Korean Leaflet Ban Law as "Interference in Internal Affairs"

On the afternoon of the 14th, the National Assembly plenary session passed a partial amendment to the Act on the Development of Inter-Korean Relations, which prohibits sending leaflets to North Korea. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Hana Na] The Democratic Party of Korea stated that the criticism from some quarters of the U.S. political sphere regarding the Act on the Prohibition of Sending Leaflets to North Korea (Amendment to the Act on the Development of Inter-Korean Relations) is "an excessive interference in Korea's internal affairs."

On the afternoon of the 20th, Democratic Party spokesperson Heo Young said in a written briefing, "It is highly inappropriate to even mention hearings in their own parliament regarding a law amended through democratic discussion and deliberation in the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea."

He added, "Freedom of expression is an important human right, but it is not absolute," explaining, "It can be restricted by law only when necessary for national security, maintenance of order, or public welfare."

Earlier, on the 17th, Democratic Congressman Gerald Connolly of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee issued a statement saying, "It has the effect of undermining the ability of human rights organizations to disseminate independent and diverse information to North Korean residents and suppressing freedom of expression."

Spokesperson Heo expressed "deep regret over the narrow-minded claims from some parts of the U.S. political sphere," pointing out, "Listening to only one side and making distorted claims is not respectful to an ally."

He continued, "Regulating the distribution of leaflets to North Korea is a minimal measure to protect the lives and safety of the people of the Republic of Korea and to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. We sincerely hope you will join us on this path."

Meanwhile, on the 14th, the National Assembly passed the amendment to the Act on the Development of Inter-Korean Relations in a plenary session with 187 votes in favor and 1 abstention out of 188 members present.

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