"Daettongryeong Park Geun-hye's Political Filth, War Maniac, Let's Beat Her Like a Mad Dog"
January 2016 North Korea's 4th Nuclear Test... Park Geun-hye Government Resumes Loudspeaker Broadcasts to North Korea
North Korea Intensifies Leaflet Distribution to South Korea... Recently Revealed Photo of Cigarette Ash on Leaflets with President Moon's Face Printed
Propaganda leaflets aimed at South Korea, believed to have been distributed by North Korean forces. The photo shows North Korean leaflets discovered on February 3, 2016, containing phrases and images criticizing President Park Geun-hye. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] On the 21st, North Korea stated through a spokesperson of the United Front Department that it has "absolutely no intention to change" its plan to distribute anti-South Korea leaflets (ppira). This was in response to the South Korean government's expression of 'regret' on the previous day (the 20th) and its demand to halt North Korea's leaflet distribution plan.
The spokesperson of the United Front Department said that the Ministry of Unification had "recklessly spoken of our plan to distribute anti-South Korea leaflets as a clear violation of the inter-Korean agreement," and questioned, "Given what they themselves have done so far, how can they so brazenly utter words like regret and violation?"
The United Front Department reiterated that "the planned retaliatory leaflet distribution struggle against the South, carried out according to the will of the entire people, will not be bound or considered by any agreement or principle," adding, "On this occasion, the South Korean authorities, who always talk about 'empathy,' should properly experience the same thing once, so that they can somewhat understand the disgust we feel and clearly realize how unpleasant it is."
◆ Resumption of Loudspeaker Broadcasts to North Korea Amid Deterioration of Inter-Korean Relations During Lee Myung-bak Administration... North Korea Responds with Anti-South Leaflet Distribution
The distribution of anti-South leaflets was suspended for a while following the 1991 Basic Agreement between North and South Korea and the 2000 agreement to cease mutual defamation. In 2007, the National Police Agency abolished the regulations on collecting and handling North Korean subversive propaganda materials, and rewards such as school supplies were also discontinued.
However, after the inauguration of the Lee Myung-bak administration in 2008, inter-Korean relations deteriorated, leading to the resumption of mutual defamation and psychological warfare, and subsequently, the distribution of anti-South leaflets restarted.
Furthermore, when the Park Geun-hye administration resumed loudspeaker broadcasts to North Korea in January 2016 in response to North Korea's fourth nuclear test, North Korea began to actively resume leaflet distribution against the South.
The anti-South leaflets were mainly distributed in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Gyeonggi Province and Seoul. In October 2017, when North Korea's military provocations were severe, leaflets were even found within the Blue House premises.
The leaflets contained phrases such as "Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader, firmly declares that he will surely and decisively punish the old American madman with fire."
◆ 'Let's Beat the Mad Dog Park Geun-hye Faction', 'Big Poop Lord Park Geun-hye'?Vulgar and Explicit Derogatory Expressions
Earlier, on January 13, 2016, color leaflets measuring 12 cm wide and 4.5 cm tall were found in parts of Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The leaflets contained slogans such as "Let's beat the mad dog Park Geun-hye faction who worsened inter-Korean relations by resuming psychological warfare broadcasts against the North!" and "The United States must immediately abandon its outdated hostile policy toward North Korea!"
Another anti-South leaflet contained explicit derogatory phrases and images targeting former President Park Geun-hye, including "Big Poop Lord Park Geun-hye."
On the 18th, 30,000 to 50,000 leaflets were found in a valley near Choansan Neighborhood Park in Chang-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul. The leaflets criticized former President Park with phrases like "Warmonger who ignores public sentiment!" and "Stop foolish acts that endanger your own safety due to North Korean provocations!"
On November 24 of the same year, leaflets found in a residential area in Incheon also contained criticisms of former President Park. The leaflets labeled her as a "×× witch" and included slogans such as "Let's block the deployment of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense), a symbol of pro-American submission." There were also criticisms of then U.S. President Barack Obama and propaganda promoting the necessity of nuclear armament.
At the end of 2016, during the candlelight protests demanding the investigation of the 'Choi Soon-sil Gate' scandal and the resignation of former President Park, leaflets titled "The current government must awaken" were found. These leaflets contained phrases like "If you ignore the candlelight public sentiment, you will not escape stern judgment."
In May 2017, North Korea also distributed anti-South leaflets criticizing the South Korean government and the United States' North Korea policies.
Leaflets against the South Korea found in the areas of Singil-dong and Mullae-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul on September 20, 2017.
◆ Over 90% of Anti-North Leaflets Distributed During Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye Administrations
Following North Korea's distribution of anti-South leaflets, it was revealed that over 90% of the police's measures to prohibit leaflet distribution over the past 12 years occurred during the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations.
According to the 'Annual Status of Anti-North Leaflet Distribution' received by Song Young-gil, chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and member of the Democratic Party of Korea, from the Ministry of Unification on the 11th, defector groups have distributed a total of 19,239,000 leaflets in 94 instances since 2010. Among these, the quantity was not recorded in 17 instances.
The number of leaflets gradually increased. The first recorded distribution on February 16, 2010, by the Free North Korea Movement Alliance was about 30,000 leaflets. The number gradually rose to exceed 100,000.
On February 11, 2016, 'Voice of the People' sent 1,020,000 leaflets, marking the highest number ever. In the past year and this year, the quantity has stabilized at 500,000 leaflets.
In addition to leaflets, videos showcasing South Korea's development, cup noodles, and one-dollar bills were also sent. In the past, videos were sent on DVDs, but recently the medium has changed to USB drives.
On September 15, 2016, members of the Free North Korea Movement Alliance were preparing to fly a large banner condemning North Korea's nuclear test near Nakha IC in Paju-si, Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The group that distributed the most leaflets was the Free North Korea Movement Alliance, led by defector Park Sang-hak. Over ten years, they distributed leaflets 65 times, accounting for more than half of the total.
Regarding timing, the police imposed restrictions on leaflet distribution three times during the Lee Myung-bak administration. On December 2, 2008, the Free North Korea Movement Alliance was stopped by police while distributing leaflets in the Paju area of Gyeonggi Province, followed by two additional police interventions in October 2012.
During the Park Geun-hye administration, there were eight cases. Leaflets were distributed once each in May and June 2013, once in 2014, four times in 2015, and once in 2016.
After the inauguration of the Moon Jae-in administration, there was one police intervention on May 5, 2018, when the Free North Korea Movement Alliance attempted to distribute leaflets in the Paju area of Gyeonggi Province.
Among the 12 cases, the Free North Korea Movement Alliance accounted for nine, making it the most active group. The National Alliance for Sending Leaflets to North Korea and the North Korea Democratization Promotion Association followed. Most distribution attempts took place in Paju, near the North Korean border, with one instance in the Gimpo area.
North Korea is reportedly undertaking preparatory work for a large-scale leaflet distribution campaign targeting South Korea, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 20th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
◆ Leaflets with President Moon Jae-in's Face Printed and Covered with Cigarette Butts... North Korea Prepares Anti-South Leaflets
As tensions over leaflet distribution between the North and South escalate, North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced on the morning of the 20th its plan to distribute large-scale anti-South leaflets under the headline "Full-scale preparations for large-scale anti-South leaflet distribution struggle, an outburst of intense anti-enemy will."
KCNA reported, "The anger and retaliatory zeal against the trash and traitors who insulted our most sacred supreme dignity and made the entire Korean people intolerably outraged are intensifying," adding, "Our people's retaliatory holy war has moved on to the anti-South leaflet distribution struggle to punish the sinful gang."
It further explained, "Publishing organizations are printing anti-enemy leaflets indiscriminately to be showered on South Korean authorities who have mocked the hopes and expectations of the entire nation contained in the inter-Korean agreement for two years with frivolous words."
KCNA released several photos on its website showing residents wearing masks while printing and organizing the leaflets.
Notably, a photo was released showing cigarette butts thrown on a pile of leaflets that had a digitally altered image of President Moon Jae-in drinking from a cup, with the phrase "You've had it all... even the inter-Korean agreement" superimposed on his face.
The photo was also published on page 2 of Rodong Sinmun, the Workers' Party's official newspaper, which is a domestic media outlet viewed by North Korean residents. On the 17th, North Korea's General Staff Department announced plans for military actions against South Korea, including "large-scale anti-enemy leaflet distribution struggles" by the people.
North Korea is reportedly undertaking preparatory work for a large-scale leaflet distribution campaign targeting South Korea, according to the Korean Central News Agency on the 20th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
In response to North Korea's leaflet distribution policy, the South Korean government immediately expressed regret. The Ministry of Unification stated in a press release titled "Government Position on North Korea's Preparation for Anti-South Leaflet Distribution" that "It is very regrettable that North Korea announced plans for large-scale anti-South defamatory leaflet distribution through its media today, and we demand an immediate halt."
The Ministry emphasized, "Such actions by North Korea are a clear violation of inter-Korean agreements, not a resolution of bad practices between the two Koreas but rather a measure that worsens them, and they do not contribute at all to the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula or the development of inter-Korean relations."
The Ministry also highlighted the government's strong response to domestic civil groups distributing anti-North leaflets.
The Ministry stated, "Our government has declared a strong stance against the distribution of anti-North leaflets and materials by some civil groups," adding, "The government, police, and local governments in border areas are cooperating to thoroughly crack down to completely block any distribution activities."
It further added, "We are strictly punishing related groups for violating domestic laws and taking all measures to prevent recurrence of such acts."
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