South Korea announced Wednesday it will press charges against groups of North Korean defectors for floating anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border.
The move, announced by Seoul’s Unification Ministry, will likely spark debate over whether the South Korean government is infringing on two groups’ democratic rights in an effort to maintain ties with the North. The decision comes a day after Pyongyang threatened to cut off communication with South Korea over the leaflets, which Pyongyang has long slammed as a propaganda tactic.
Yoh Sang-key, the ministry’s spokesman, told reporters the two groups being charged had “created tensions between the South and North and brought danger to the lives and safety of (South Korean) residents in border areas,” according to The Associated Press.
ADVERTISEMENT
South Korea announced last week that it would explore new laws to prevent defectors and activists from sending the leaflets into North Korea following threats from Pyongyang to scrap a 2018 deal to reduce tensions.
“The [Republic of Korea Government] carried out measures to suspend the act of flying leaflets to the North on numerous occasions, taking note that such action can raise tensions in the border area,” the government said in a press release last week. “Such action of distributing leaflets should be ceased as it not only poses a risk to the lives and property of our nationals living in the border area, but also hinders inter-Korean quarantine cooperation.”
The activist groups railed against Seoul’s decision, with one defector condemning it as “treacherous” and vowing to send more leaflets via drone.
“Since when has the Ministry of Unification become the ministry of treason?” Park Sang-hak asked in an interview with the AP. “We will respond not with words but with action, by flying even more leaflets to North Korean people.”
Activists have been sending the leaflets into North Korea for years to slam strongman Kim Jong Un
Kim Jong UnNorth Korea halts communication with South Korea Pompeo and Trump can turn human-rights issues against China North Korea lashes out, says US will be overshadowed by China MORE’s nuclear program and human rights record. Pyongyang has bristled at the activists’ efforts and has long called on Seoul to curtail the groups’ activities, but South Korea has until now declined to codify a ban on the leaflets.
World - Latest - Google News
June 10, 2020 at 08:43PM
https://ift.tt/3hixTsA
South Korea charging defectors over leaflets dropped in North | TheHill - The Hill
World - Latest - Google News
https://ift.tt/2SeTG7d
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "South Korea charging defectors over leaflets dropped in North | TheHill - The Hill"
Post a Comment