Gyeonggi Province Requests Police Investigation into North Korea Leaflet Distribution Group

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

On the 21st, Gyeonggi Province requested a police investigation for violation of the 'Aviation Safety Act' in relation to the distribution of leaflets to North Korea by the defector organization Free North Korea Movement Alliance in the Paju area on the 20th.

In the investigation request letter on the same day, Gyeonggi Province stated, "The large balloons used for the leaflets to North Korea are considered ultralight aircraft under the Aviation Safety Act and cannot be used without flight approval from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport," adding, "If objects weighing more than 2 kg are attached to the leaflet balloons and flown, they are regarded as ultralight aircraft and can be punished."

The Free North Korea Movement Alliance announced through a press release that they released a large balloon carrying 300,000 leaflets to North Korea, along with USB flash drives and 1-dollar bills.

Earlier, on the 11th, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon held an emergency meeting amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula due to the distribution of leaflets to North Korea by domestic civilian groups, North Korea’s release of filth balloons, and the government’s resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts to North Korea. He promised, "We will immediately dispatch special judicial police officers to the expected leaflet distribution areas to patrol and strengthen surveillance."

Accordingly, the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Unit has been conducting patrol activities targeting five cities and counties?Goyang, Paju, Gimpo, Pocheon, and Yeoncheon?where leaflet distribution to North Korea is expected. They have also been considering designating border areas as danger zones under the 'Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety' if the security situation in the border area worsens.

If designated as a danger zone, Gyeonggi Province can issue orders restricting access to the border area for those involved in leaflet distribution. Furthermore, the special judicial police can form a special investigation team to arrest violators of such orders and take criminal action.