ROK politicians urge gov't to tackle anti-DPRK leaflet spread

South Korea's rival political parties urged the government on Wednesday to take proper action toward civic groups floating leaflets against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Kim Young-woo, spokesman of the ruling Saenuri Party, told a press briefing that the freedom of speech, which is people's basic right, should be guaranteed, but he said that if its exercise puts other people's lives at risk, it would become a matter beyond the freedom of expression.

Kim said a country has an obligation to protect the lives and property of people, urging the government to take a prudent and appropriate action toward the spread of anti-Pyongyang leaflets.

His comments came a day after a South Korean court ruled that the government can restrict the anti-DPRK leaflet spread in response to clear dangers against people living in regions near the inter-Korean border.

On Oct. 10, the DPRK military fired machine gun shots at the balloons containing anti-DPRK leaflets scattered by a conservative South Korean civic group, composed largely of "defectors" from the DPRK, near the western border. Residents near the border area strongly opposed to such activity due to rising military tensions.

Huh Young-il, spokesman of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, said in a commentary that the court ruling is worth welcoming as it considered people's safety, noting that the leaflet spread has long been the biggest obstacle to improved inter-Korean relations.

The spokesman urged the government to more actively restrict the leaflet dispersion if it endangers people's lives.

The parliamentary subcommittee on foreign affairs and unification passed a resolution on Tuesday that urged the government to take necessary measures to prevent the leaflet dispersion from denting inter-Korean relations and threatening people's safety.

In the past, South Korea maintained the position that it has no legal ground to block the leaflet spread, but signs emerged that Seoul may change in its action toward such activities.

Unification Ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol told a press briefing that the ministry will cooperate with police to take necessary "safety measures" to reduce possibilities for endangering the lives and property of the people if those who intend to disperse anti-DPRK leaflets are spotted in advance.

Lim, however, noted that there is no change in the government' s basic position that the activity of spreading anti-DPRK leaflets, which belongs to "freedom of expression," cannot be blocked by the authorities.

The spokesman said that the necessary safety measures would not mean a direct physical restriction. "The North Korea (DPRK) regime has an ingrained limitation that if anti-DPRK leaflets damaging the authority of Kim Jong Un are dispersed, any inter- Korean talks cannot be held," Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at the private Sejong Institute, said by phone.

Cheong urged the unification ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs to get more flexible in tackling the leaflet dispersion to materialize the Seoul-proposed dialogue with Pyongyang in January.

The leaflet spread has long been a source of tensions on the Korean Peninsula as the leaflets, which were floated via hot air balloons across the border, contained criticism toward top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and the regime.

Pyongyang rejected Seoul's dialogue offer in October last year for the leaflet dispersion.

The DPRK's KCNA news agency said in a commentary on Wednesday that the South Korean authorities connived at the leaflet dispersion, urging Seoul to make clear whether to improve inter- Korean relations through dialogue or maintain a confrontational situation.

One South Korean civic group, composed mainly of DPRK defectors, floated about 600,000 anti-DPRK leaflets via balloons across the border on Monday in regions near the western land border.

The ministry announced a statement on Tuesday to repeat its position that Seoul is open to all forms of dialogue with Pyongyang to discuss the issues of mutual concern, urging the DPRK to respond positively to Seoul's offer to hold a senior-level dialogue in January if it sincerely wants to improve inter-Korean relations.

Top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un made an apparent offer for a summit with South Korea in his New Year's address, and South Korean President Park Geun-hye assessed Kim's address positively during the first cabinet meeting of this year.

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