Unification ministry cautious about legislation banning anti-North Korea leaflet launches

SEOUL: The unification ministry on Wednesday struck a cautious note about opposition lawmakers' legislative attempt to ban Seoul activists' sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border, citing the right of freedom of expression. In September, the Constitutional Court ruled that a clause banning leaflet launches in the law on the development of inter-Korean relations is unconstitutional, saying it excessively restricts the right to freedom of expression. The decision paved the way for North Korean defectors and activists to resume their leaflet campaigns toward North Korea. In retaliation, the North has sent more than 2,000 trash-filled balloons into the South since late May. Several lawmakers from the main opposition Democratic Party have proposed revisions to the law to restrict such leaflet launches while taking into account the intent of the court's ruling. "When it comes to a revision to the law, there is a need for a cautious approach, given that the court's ruling underscores freedom of expr ession as a constitutional value that is the basis of democracy," the ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said in a report to the National Assembly. Inter-Korean tensions have heightened as Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of the North's leader Kim Jong-un, warned Tuesday that South Korea will face "gruesome and dear" consequences if it lets North Korean defectors continue to send such leaflets to the North. She hinted that North Korea could opt for a new tactic to counter the leaflet campaign instead of resorting to its campaign of sending trash-carrying balloons across the border. South Korea's defense ministry warned that North Korea could let its landmines flow into the South amid heavy downpours as part of its potential responses to the leaflet launches. Source: Yonhap News Agency