'Leaflet Distribution to North Korea' Park Sang-hak Appears at Police Station... "Is It Wrong to Tell the Truth to the North?"

Park Sang-hak, the head of the Free North Korea Movement Alliance, who revealed that he had distributed leaflets toward North Korea twice last month near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), is responding to reporters' questions as he appears at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Jongno-gu on the afternoon of the 10th for investigation.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Park Sang-hak, head of the Free North Korea Movement Alliance, who distributed 'anti-North Korea leaflets' last month, was summoned by the police on the 10th.

On that day, Park appeared at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Naejadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and told reporters, "Before crossing the Yalu River and Tumen River, I heard that South Korea was a U.S. colonial territory and a living hell for humans, but we live here and write letters to tell the truth through anti-North Korea leaflets," explaining the reason for distributing the leaflets.

He added, "Is it so wrong to inform the North Korean people about the politics, culture, society, liberal democracy of the Republic of Korea, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?" and said, "If I go to prison, my comrades will continue to send anti-North Korea leaflets."

The Free North Korea Movement Alliance claimed that from the 25th to the 29th of last month, they used 10 advertising balloons in the areas adjacent to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces to send 500,000 leaflets, 500 booklets, and 5,000 one-dollar bills in two rounds.

This leaflet distribution was the first since the so-called 'Anti-North Korea Leaflet Prohibition Act' (an amendment to the Act on the Development of Inter-Korean Relations) was enforced in March this year. The amended law stipulates that broadcasting with loudspeakers and leaflet distribution near the Military Demarcation Line are punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won.

Park also expressed opposition to the enforcement of the Anti-North Korea Leaflet Prohibition Act and stated that he would continue to send leaflets as a form of protest. Since this is the first case of leaflet distribution after the law's enforcement, attention is focused on future investigations and the application of punishment provisions.

Following the emergence of this leaflet distribution case, Kim Chang-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, criticized the lukewarm response on the 2nd and ordered a thorough investigation. Subsequently, on the 6th of this month, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Security Investigation Unit conducted a search and seizure of Park's office and other locations.

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