South Korea: Last year, the military dispatched 23 propaganda pamphlets to North Korea
South Korea: Following an order last year to begin leaflet operations, the military delivered propaganda leaflets to North Korea at least 23 times last year under the former government of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, a legislator said on Wednesday.
The information was made public by the office of Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the governing party, citing the findings of a defense ministry investigation. Yoon is accused of deploying drones to North Korea last year in order to incite retaliation, which he then used as justification for declaring martial rule in December.
According to the investigation findings sent to Choo’s office, the National Security Council authorized a decision to start leafleting again in October 2023, having already done so between February and November of last year before to Yoon’s unsuccessful attempt to impose martial rule on December 3.
Shortly after the Constitutional Court declared a statute that prohibited such campaigns unconstitutional in September 2023, citing freedom of speech, the security council decided to begin such activities. Since July 2017, leaflet efforts had been halted.
According to the lawmaker’s office, the security council meeting to deliberate on the restart was attended by Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho, and other security officials. However, since the meeting’s outcomes have been classified, important facts, such as the justifications for the restart, are still unclear.
Shin informed the military of the decision in late 2023, and between February 18 and November 15, the military’s media warfare unit disseminated leaflets in 35 target locations, including military outposts and significant North Korean towns like Pyongyang and Wonsan.
Fearing that outside information may threaten its governing system, North Korea has long objected to the military’s loudspeaker broadcasts and pamphlets delivered by activists.
Claiming that Seoul was the first to launch leaflet campaigns against its dictatorship, the North started its own leafleting efforts in May of last year, flying thousands of balloons loaded with rubbish across the border into South Korea, according to Yonhap news agency.
The most recent disclosure follows a special counsel team’s conclusion earlier this week that Yoon started preparing for his brief martial rule declaration in October 2023 or earlier, more than a year before to its announcement on December 3, 2024.
A special investigating team was established by the defense ministry after the conclusion to further investigate claims that the military was involved in the attempt to impose martial rule.