Moon Jae-in kneels with Kim Jong-un? South Korea passed the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act, which bans the sending of propaganda leaflets to north Korea. Distributing leaflets or broadcasting along the military demarcation line is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of 30 million won (ABOUT NT $850,000), with the law taking effect as soon as three months. But the move has been criticized by human rights groups as a violation of free speech and an attempt to win the approval of North Korea’s supreme leader, Kim Jong UN, by cracking down on its own citizens.
South Korea’s Parliament Tuesday passed an amendment to the Inter-Korean Relations Law that bans the spread of printed matter, goods, money and other propaganda materials across the border, as well as the spread of loudspeakers to the DPRK, despite opposition protests, AP reported.
By north Korean defectors and other activist groups, including “north Korea freedom fighters organization” (FFNK), “the Korean people’s liberation front” (NKPLF), and other groups, over the decades has been using balloons to north Korean propaganda materials: drop food, medicine, 1 dollar bills, mini radio, and with south Korean news and drama of the USB flash disk, etc., while Pyongyang, the authorities have been condemned this practice.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been pushing for peace between the two koreas, making several trips to the 38th parallel military demarcation line and meeting with Kim Jong UN. There have been signs of improvement in inter-Korean relations.
However, in June, North Korea not only blew up the Inter-Korean liaison office at the Kaesong industrial park, cutting off all inter-Korean communication pipelines, but also redeployed troops to the Kumgang tourist zone and the Kaesong industrial park. It’s believed that some south Korean groups fired in anger over the anti-North Korean propaganda they continue to send to the North.
South Korean lawmakers have proposed a bill to ban the distribution of more propaganda to North Korea, which last week was intercepted by its own south Korean military at the border.
There are now more than 20 north Korean defector groups and human rights groups in South Korea that have vowed to challenge the constitutionality of the revised law, and Human Rights Watch has blasted the Moon administration for sacrificing democratic principles to win Kim jong UN’s approval by cracking down on its own citizens. But Seoul claims the law is for the safety of border residents and does not want to provoke tensions.
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