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N. Korea warns against activists releasing propaganda leaflets
SEOUL/GIMPO -- North Korea warned Saturday that South Korea will face a "catastrophic situation" if it allows anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets to be flown into its territory across the border ahead of a major holiday.A group of North Korean defectors and a Seoul-based civic organization have said they jointly plan to fly tens of thousands of leaflets with anti-Pyongyang messages, often mixed with U.S. dollar bills, via balloon timed to the upcoming birthday of the North's late founder Kim Il-sung, which falls on Monday. In a commentary posted on the Web site of its propaganda Internet outlet, Uriminzokkiri, the "Such confrontational madness will only snap up the extraordinary alarm and ire of our army and people," it said, adding that the North will shell South Korean sites used to send propaganda leaflets. Activists in the South often send anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border, condemning the autocratic North Korean regime and calling for a popular uprising against the leadership. Pyongyang has frequently threatened retaliation for the South's leaflet campaign but no real actions have so far been taken. Meanwhile, South Korean police stopped a planned launch of anti-North Korea leaflets by a group of North Korean defectors in the northwestern city of Gimpo on Saturday, according to an activist and officers. Five activists of the Fighters for Free North Korea (FFNK), a civic group of activists and North Korean defectors, were stalled by policemen after which their vehicle was forcibly towed to the local police station, according to Park Sang-hak, the head of the FFNK. "It is the first time that the police have blocked a launch that was to be carried out without notifying the media," Park said, adding that his group has launched leaflets in the past. "Residents (living near the border) strongly objected to launching the leaflets amid heightened tension between the North and the South," a police officer said. Posted by: Steve White 2013-04-14 |
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