hankyoreh

This picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on June 16, 2020, shows a view of the explosion of the inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office in Kaesong, North Korea. (Yonhap News)

South Korean President Moon Jae-in's unexpected message emphasizing the need to "strictly enforce the laws" in response to people "violating inter-Korean agreements and current laws" during his special address Monday to mark four years in office was based on the detection of signals suggesting that North Korea's discontent over the scattering of propaganda leaflets by defectors might result in its taking some form of concrete action, sources said.

In its investigation Thursday, the Hankyoreh learned that in late April, the South Korean government detected signs that North Korea was preparing to take "physical action" shortly after the launch of leaflet balloons by Fighters for a Free North Korea (FFNK), a group of North Korean defectors.

Specifically, North Korea was found to have deployed anti-aircraft guns and other equipment farther south than usual in its military units near the Military Demarcation Line.

The move was taken as signaling Pyongyang's readiness to "return fire" if the South Korean balloon launches continued even after a May 2 "warning statement" by Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee Deputy Director Kim Yo-jong.

A precedent for this was set in October 2014, when North Korea fired anti-aircraft guns toward a leaflet balloon launched by a defector group, prompting the South Korean military to return fire.

North Korea has also reportedly resumed practical preparations for the launch of propaganda leaflets to the South. It had previously been planning in June 2020 as a response measure to South Korean leaflets. In effect, it is girding to take action to back up Kim Yo-jong's remarks about considering "corresponding measures" in her denunciation of leaflet scattering by defector groups.

Pyongyang regards the leaflet balloon launches as a "hostile act" as stated in the Panmunjom Declaration of April 27, 2018, as well as a potential risk that could thwart its concerted efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic with a long-term closure of its borders.

Indeed, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper emphasized the COVID-19 prevention aspect in a May 6 article.

"Even when we come across a strange object flying in the wind, we must consider them as a possible route of transmission of the malicious virus rather than a natural phenomenon," the piece read.

A South Korean government source explained, "The North had already been reacting sensitively to the leaflets, which it views as insulting to the 'supreme dignity' [of leader Kim Jong-un] and North Korean regime, but now it is putting extra emphasis on them in terms of preventing COVID-19."

The source suggested there was a "serious risk of a strong response from North Korea" if additional balloons are launched from South Korea.

Another reason that Pyongyang has been on edge over the leaflets since last year appears to have to do with an alleged project by defectors in South Korea to spread the COVID-19 virus in North Korea.

In March 2020, a number of posts circulating on an online community used mainly by North Korean defectors made reference to "purchasing items used by COVID-19 patients in order to bring down the Kim Jong-un regime."

The messages essentially called for sending the virus to North Korea along with the leaflets. According to sources, the South Korean government began seriously examining measures against the leaflet balloon launches after investigating and examining related posts at the time.

But while this examination was still going on, North Korea abruptly demolished the inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office at Kaesong in June 2020. The South Korean government and ruling Democratic Party took action to amend the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act to punish the leaflet launches — a legislative effort that was completed in December of last year.

Last April 30 marked the end of "North Korean freedom week," a period when large numbers of leaflet balloon launches are typically held. But Seoul is currently focusing its administrative capabilities on heading off an anticipated resumption of launches by defector groups ahead of a scheduled South Korea-US summit on May 21.

On May 2, Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Kim Chang-yong ordered "stern handling" of the leaflet launches based on "swift and thorough investigation." On May 7, Minister of the Interior and Safety Jeon Hae-cheol referred to them as "serious violations of the law" that "cannot be tolerated."

With his remarks Monday stressing that "the Government has no choice but to enforce the laws strictly," Moon Jae-in indicated his support as well, announcing domestically and internationally that he was committed to keeping inter-Korean relations on a stable footing.

Meanwhile, police authorities reportedly obtained evidence that FFNK president Park Sang-hak, who is currently being investigated on charges in connection with leaflet distribution, actually launched his balloons before April 23.

Park claimed on April 30 that he had conducted two launches between April 25 and 29 from Gyeonggi and Gangwon Provinces, with 500,000 leaflets, 500 pamphlets, and 5,000 one-dollar bills loaded onto 10 large balloons.

But the video disclosed by Park showing the balloons being launched was determined to have been made on April 23.

Police suspect that while Park claimed to have sent the leaflets during the "North Korean freedom week" that began on April 27, he used a "ploy" to avoid conducting the launches during a time of increased monitoring by the military and police.

Park's launches were reportedly assisted by North Korea Freedom Coalition Chairperson Suzanne Scholte, an activist campaigning for North Korea's liberalization in the US.

By Kim Ji-eun, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]