City Requests Thorough Investigation and Entry Ban from Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police
City to File Separate Complaint over Possible Aviation Safety Act Violation
Paju City: "Acts Threatening Citizens' Safety Will Be Held Legally Accountable"
On April 27, around midnight, Paju City in Gyeonggi Province announced strict legal action, including criminal complaints and entry bans, against Choi Sungyong, representative of the Abductees' Family Association, and four others who carried out a surprise launch of anti-North Korea leaflets in Paju, which had been designated as a restricted area under the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety.
Kim Kyungil, mayor of Paju City, is talking with Choi Sungyong, representative of the Abductees' Family Association, on the 23rd. Provided by Paju City
On the morning of April 28, Paju City held an emergency response meeting and strongly requested the Gyeonggi Provincial Special Judicial Police to conduct a thorough direct investigation into the leaflet launch by the Abductees' Family Association. The city also called for strict enforcement of entry bans and eviction measures against Choi Sungyong and the four others involved in the leaflet launch. Separately, the city decided to file criminal complaints to investigate possible violations of the Aviation Safety Act.
Furthermore, the city explained that after a failed attempt to launch anti-North Korea leaflets at Imjingak in Paju on April 23, Choi Sungyong and others from the Abductees' Family Association had promised the police, the Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police, and Paju City that they would not carry out a surprise leaflet launch. However, by breaking this promise and launching the leaflets in the middle of the night, the city determined that further dialogue and compromise were no longer possible and announced plans to hold them strictly accountable under the law.
The city stated that Choi Sungyong and the four others violated Articles 41 and 79 of the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety, as well as the "Administrative Order Prohibiting Entry into Restricted Areas and the Launch of Anti-North Korea Leaflets" issued by Gyeonggi Province on October 16 of the previous year. Paju City requested the Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police to take strict legal action. Violations of the ban on activities within restricted areas are punishable by up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won.
Additionally, under the administrative order, activities such as entry by those involved in launching anti-North Korea leaflets, as well as the preparation, transportation, launching, and use of related materials, are prohibited within restricted areas. The city requested the Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police to strictly respond not only to the leaflet launch but also to the preparation and transportation of materials by Choi Sungyong and the four others. Furthermore, the city announced plans to file criminal complaints with the police to investigate whether the anti-North Korea leaflet balloons, classified as unmanned free balloons under the Aviation Safety Act, exceeded 2 kilograms, which would constitute a violation of the Act.
Kim Kyungil, mayor of Paju City, stated, "There can be no dialogue or compromise with acts of launching anti-North Korea leaflets that put the safety of 530,000 Paju citizens and the people of the Republic of Korea at risk." He added, "In cooperation with the Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police, we will hold those responsible for this leaflet launch legally accountable and use all possible means, including entry bans, to block the launch of anti-North Korea leaflets."
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