Tomorrow’s planned launch of leaflets condemning the regime by a private
activist group in South Korea has led North Korea to ratchet up pressure on
the South Korean government to stop it, warning that it will destroy relations
between the Koreas.
The Committee for the Peaceful
Reunification of the Fatherland reported today on tomorrow’s plans, declaring, “Relations between
the North and South will face irreparable destruction. This situation will
spark grave repercussions.”
“Whether or not the South Chosun [South
Korean] authorities will confront or converse, tolerate the distribution of
these leaflets or block it, improve or destroy relations between the North and
South, is a touchstone of their position and attitude,” the report declared. “We
are keeping a sharp eye on movements coming from South Chosun,” it went on to assert.
It went on to accuse the South Korean
government of encouraging these groups by using the guise of freedom of expression as grounds for its inability to intervene.
The report declared, “We have no patience
for anything that debases our great dignity,” going on to demand that the South
Korean authorities implement a measure that prevents the scattering of these
leaflets containing rhetoric against the North.
“Considering the recent conditions, these
leaflets are a terribly dangerous act that can lead to war,” the report warned.
“International legal standards recognize the scattering of these leaflets to be
an act of war, so it would be reasonable for us to respond with military force.”
The Citizens’ Alliance for Sending North
Korean Leaflets [CASNL] plans to
send some 40-50,000 leaflets in balloon devices from Paju at 1p.m. on
October 25th. A number of civic groups and residents in the area, concerned
about citizens’ safety after a similar event resulted in a cross-border exchange of fire recently, announced plans to try to impede the launch in what many
expect to be a chaotic clash. Police have reported that there is a possibility
that the launch will be halted.
