Seoul, Dec 14 — South Korea’s National Assembly on Sunday passed a bill led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP) granting police legal authority to block the launch of “anti-Pyongyang” leaflets near border areas. The amendment to the Act on the Performance of Duties by Police Officers aims to curb activities that could heighten inter-Korean tensions, Yonhap news agency reported.
The bill was approved during a plenary session shortly after the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) ended its 24-hour filibuster through a vote. While the DP argued that the legislation is essential to protect the safety of border residents and prevent military escalation, the PPP criticized it as an infringement on freedom of expression.
The move follows a recent revision to the Aviation Safety Act, which bans the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles in restricted zones, effectively blocking the use of drones to distribute leaflets across the border. The government under President Lee Jae Myung has been seeking to ease tensions and revive dialogue with Pyongyang as part of its broader strategy to improve inter-Korean relations.
For years, groups led by North Korean defectors have floated balloons carrying leaflets critical of the North Korean regime into Pyongyang-controlled territory, frequently sparking diplomatic and military friction. In 2023, the Constitutional Court ruled that a previous government ban on leaflet launches violated freedom of expression, saying the restrictions under the Inter-Korean Relations Development Act were excessive.
In a related development, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young recently stated that leaving room for adjusting joint South Korea–US military exercises could help reopen dialogue with North Korea. He emphasized that combined drills are a means to achieve peace, not an end in themselves, and suggested that flexibility on the issue could support Washington’s efforts to re-engage Pyongyang. Both Seoul and Washington are exploring ways to revive stalled negotiations amid ongoing security concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program.
