hankyoreh

both groups fought with members of the progressive group Jinbo Corea.

One person has been injured and one person has been arrested by police after progressive and conservative groups clashed over the launching of anti-North Korea leaflet balloons.

According to statements by members of both sides, six members from the conservative Fighters for Free North Korea and Abductees’ Family Union had planned to go to “Freedom Bridge” on the outskirts of Paju City on Tuesday to airlift 100,000 leaflets using 10 hot air balloons.

Approximately 40 members of the progressive group Jinbo Corea (Progressive Korea) had already arrived at the site, however, and were holding a press conference denouncing the leaflet offensive. The group members said the “sending of leaflets slandering the North” by “anti-North groups” is “a violation of the agreement to stop mutual slander along the Military Demarcation Line, agreed to after the June 15 Joint Statement” that “is making inter-Korean relations, already poor, even more difficult.”

The conservatives arrived in a truck about ten minutes later and a clash ensued. Park Sang-hak, 40, head of the Fighters for Free North Korea, fired a tear-gas pistol into the air. Another man from the same organization in charge of the balloon detail swung a wrench at people. Some 50 police officers positioned themselves between the two groups, but one of the progressive activists had already been injured, later receiving six stitches in hospital. The conservative activist who had been swinging the wrench was placed under arrest.

Despite obstruction from the progressives, the conservative groups managed to launch one balloon carrying ten thousand leaflets. Members of the progressive organization made off with some of the leaflets that had remained in the conservatives’ truck.

“The other side incited us first by demanding to know who was kidnapped by North Korea,” said Choi Sung-yong, the head of the Abductees’ Family Union. “We are going to launch leaflets as often as we can until the issue of the abducted is resolved.”

Jeong Yong-jun of Jinbo Corea told a different story.

“We didn’t go there for a clash, but the conservative groups came at us with violence,” he said. “The government needs to stop just saying that it is going to restrain the launching of leaflet balloons and take actual action.”

Jinbo Corea says it is going to file a legal complaint with the police against Park for firing a tear-gas pistol and the member of his organization for swinging the wrench.

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