South Korea's military sent propaganda leaflets to North Korea at least 23 times last year under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, a lawmaker said. The operations followed a National Security Council decision in October 2023 to resume them, shortly after the Constitutional Court ruled a ban unconstitutional. The information comes from a defense ministry probe disclosed by Rep. Choo Mi-ae's office.
The South Korean military sent propaganda leaflets to North Korea at least 23 times last year under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, following an order issued the previous year to resume such operations, Rep. Choo Mi-ae said Wednesday. The National Security Council approved the resumption in October 2023, shortly after the Constitutional Court ruled in September 2023 that a law banning the campaigns was unconstitutional on grounds of freedom of expression. The operations had been suspended since July 2017.
Then-Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, then-Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho, and other security officials attended the council meeting, but key details, including the grounds for approval, remain classified. Shin conveyed the decision to the military in late 2023, leading the propaganda warfare unit to distribute leaflets across 35 target areas, including major North Korean cities like Pyongyang and Wonsan, as well as military bases, from February 18 to November 15.
North Korea has long opposed the military's loudspeaker broadcasts and activist leaflets, viewing outside information as a threat to its regime. In May last year, Pyongyang responded by sending thousands of trash-filled balloons across the border into South Korea, claiming Seoul initiated the leaflet campaigns. This revelation follows a special counsel team's conclusion earlier this week that Yoon began preparations for his short-lived martial law declaration on December 3, 2024, in or before October 2023. Yoon faces charges of sending drones to North Korea last year to provoke retaliation as a pretext for the martial law bid. In response, the defense ministry has launched a special investigative unit to probe military involvement in the martial law attempt.
