South Koreans vow to send more propaganda leaflets over border by balloon
Activists in South Korea insist they will continue to launch balloons carrying anti-regime propaganda into the North, despite an exchange of gunfire after a previous event
South Korean activists vowed on Thursday to launch more balloons next week carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border into North Korea, days after their campaign triggered gunfire between the rival Koreas.
North Korea considers leaflets an attack on its government and has long demanded that South Korea ban activists from sending them. South Korea refuses, saying the activists are exercising freedom of speech.
Last Friday, North Korea opened fire after propaganda balloons were floated from the South. South Korean soldiers returned fire, but there were no reports of casualties. North Korea has warned it would take unspecified stronger measures if leafleting continues.
“The leaflets will tell North Korean soldiers to level their guns at Kim Jong-un, launch strikes at him and kill him.”
South Korean activist Choi Woo-won said on Thursday his group would not yield to the North’s threats and plans to send about 50,000 leaflets on October 25.
“Our government and people must not be fazed even though North Korea, the criminal organisation, is blackmailing us,” said Choi, a university professor.
He said his leaflets will urge a military rebellion against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. “The leaflets will tell North Korean soldiers to level their guns at Kim Jong-un, launch strikes at him and kill him,” Choi said.
Another activist Lee Min-bok said he was also ready to fly millions of leaflets, which describe South Korea’s economic prosperity and urge North Koreans to flee, as soon as weather conditions such as wind direction are favourable.