Tensions over leaflet launches demand social compromise
Published: 30 Apr. 2025, 00:04
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
The author is a national news reporter at the JoongAng Ilbo.
Tensions remain high in border areas where North and South Korea face each other militarily, due to the recent release of anti-Pyongyang leaflets. The latest incident stems from the actions of the Families of Abductees to North Korea Association, which launched balloons carrying the leaflets from Paju, Gyeonggi. The situation has remained tense as the area has seen repeated cycles of leaflet releases, North Korean retaliatory balloon drops filled with waste, and loudspeaker broadcasts blaring from both sides of the border.
Against this backdrop, five members of the association released eight balloons carrying anti-North Korea leaflets from Imjingak in Munsan County, Paju, at approximately 12:20 a.m. on April 27. The leaflets included photos of seven victims of abduction. The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Unit (SJP) estimates that all eight balloons failed to cross the military demarcation line and instead fell near Yeoncheon, Dongducheon, and Jeokseong county in Paju.
![Leaflets aimed at North Korea flutter from a large balloon during the ″Safe Return Memorial Ceremony″ hosted by the Families of Abductees to North Korea Association near Peace Land at Imjingak in Paju, Gyeonggi, on April 23. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/30/0346d9ca-2d68-4a9c-8490-ea0d8bcbfa67.jpg)
Leaflets aimed at North Korea flutter from a large balloon during the ″Safe Return Memorial Ceremony″ hosted by the Families of Abductees to North Korea Association near Peace Land at Imjingak in Paju, Gyeonggi, on April 23. [NEWS1]
In response, the SJP plans to summon Choi Seong-ryong, head of the association, and others involved in the launch, and intends to charge them under the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety. On Oct. 15, last year, Gyeonggi designated three cities and counties along the border — Paju, Yeoncheon and Gimpo — “danger zones” under the disaster safety law, citing risks to residents’ safety from leaflet launches. Paju City also announced plans to file criminal complaints and civil lawsuits against Choi and the five association members, in addition to banning them from access to certain areas and ordering their removal.
Residents of Paju’s border region, along with citizens advocating for peace, have pushed back. They launched a campaign on April 28 to recruit 427 co-plaintiffs to file a complaint, asserting that “the launch of anti-North Korea leaflets is a grave criminal act that threatens the lives and safety of border residents” and demanding a thorough police investigation.
In turn, the Families of Abductees to North Korea Association announced plans to countersue officials from Gyeonggi and Paju City and to respond actively, including launching an additional 90,000 anti-North Korea leaflets. The association maintains its position, stating, “We can no longer wait for the government or continue to plead with the public. We must at least confirm the life or death status of our abducted family members.”
The government, which had previously framed the matter as an issue of “freedom of expression,” has recently shifted toward a more cautious stance. The Ministry of Unification announced on Dec. 12 of last year that, given the sensitivity of the current situation and the prioritization of the lives and safety of citizens, it had requested civic groups planning leaflet launches to exercise “careful judgment.”
![The Families of Abductees to North Korea Association prepares to launch eight balloons carrying anti-North Korea leaflets toward the North from behind the fence at Peace Land in Paju, Gyeonggi, on April 27. [FAMILIES OF ABDUCTEES TO NORTH KOREA ASSOCIATION]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/30/52de353a-12f4-49b5-8ed1-061f80453c34.jpg)
The Families of Abductees to North Korea Association prepares to launch eight balloons carrying anti-North Korea leaflets toward the North from behind the fence at Peace Land in Paju, Gyeonggi, on April 27. [FAMILIES OF ABDUCTEES TO NORTH KOREA ASSOCIATION]
However, on Feb. 21, the Uijeongbu District Court’s Goyang Branch ruled that prohibiting acts of expression merely because of nationwide security risks posed by potential North Korean provocations could lead to an “excessive restriction on the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression.”
The Families of Abductees to North Korea Association, border residents, the government, the judiciary and local authorities all hold differing positions on the issue of anti-North leaflets. Amid these divisions, the peaceful lives of innocent border residents continue to be jeopardized. Leaflet launches touch on national security concerns but also reflect the desperate pleas of families of abductees. Although the issue is deeply challenging, it is imperative that a broad-based social compromise be reached as soon as possible.
Striking a balance between the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and the imperative to safeguard public safety demands thoughtful negotiation. Rather than escalating confrontation, all parties must work together to find a durable solution that protects both national security and human dignity.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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