Recent legal revisions have made it difficult to scatter propaganda leaflets into North Korea, effectively ending the era of such campaigns, the unification ministry said. The spokesperson expressed hope that the measures could restore inter-Korean ties and build peace.
In early December 2025, a revision to the Aviation Safety Act was passed, strictly regulating the airborne launch of leaflets near the inter-Korean border. The law bans unmanned aerial vehicles in restricted areas, effectively blocking drone use for distributing leaflets toward North Korea. The following day, on December 14, the National Assembly passed an amendment to the Act on the Performance of Duties by Police Officers, granting police broader authority to intervene in leaflet launches near the border.
The bill, led by the ruling Democratic Party, was approved in a plenary session shortly after the main opposition People Power Party's filibuster ended via a vote after 24 hours. The Democratic Party argued it is necessary to protect border residents' safety and reduce military tensions, while the People Power Party opposed it, claiming it infringes on freedom of expression.
Unification ministry spokesperson Yoon Min-ho stated at a December 15 press briefing, "The latest revisions to the Act on the Performance of Duties by Police Officers and the Aviation Safety Act have made it difficult to scatter anti-North Korea leaflets, effectively drawing the era of leaflet campaigns toward the North to a close." He noted that such campaigns have fueled distrust between the Koreas and undermined peace and safety for border residents, hoping the revisions serve as a starting point for restoring ties and building peace.
Historically, groups led by North Korean defectors have sent balloons carrying regime-critical leaflets across the border, repeatedly escalating tensions. In 2023, the Constitutional Court ruled that a prior government ban on the launches violated freedom of expression. Under President Lee Jae Myung's administration, the government is working to ease border tensions and resume dialogue with Pyongyang.
