Gangwon Governor Choi Moon-soon Urges Government to Strictly Punish Illegal Distributors of Anti-North Korea Leaflets

Published 12 May.2021 16:15(KST)

"We Despair and Are Angry About the Act of Distributing Leaflets to North Korea"

Choi Moon-soon, Governor of Gangwon Province [Provided by Gangwon Province]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Choi Moon-soon, Governor of Gangwon Province, has called for the cessation of leaflet distribution to North Korea and strict punishment for those who distribute them.

On the 12th, Governor Choi stated in a press release, "Gangwon Province opposes all acts that threaten the safety of residents in the border areas."

He continued, "The province, which suffered enormous damage as the fiercest battleground of the Korean War, has endured military tension and threats to life on the front line for 70 years since the armistice agreement. The North's announced military provocations triggered by the distribution of leaflets to North Korea bring another wave of fear to residents in the border areas."

He added, "We are despairing and angry over the continuous leaflet distribution by some defectors' groups," warning, "The province cannot overlook these illegal incidents."

Governor Choi also urged, "The government must strictly punish those who illegally distribute leaflets to North Korea so that the lives of residents living in the border areas are no longer threatened by illegal acts."

Earlier, the Free North Korea Movement Alliance sent 500,000 leaflets, 500 booklets, and 5,000 US one-dollar bills to North Korea by attaching them to 10 large balloons twice between the 25th and 29th of last month in the areas of Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province adjacent to the DMZ.

This was the first leaflet distribution act since the enactment of the revised Inter-Korean Relations Development Act (Leaflet Prohibition Act) in March.