S Korea prez orders steps to curb anti-Pyongyang leaflet

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung ordered Saturday to come up with measures to prevent the launch of anti-Pyongyang leaflets in areas bordering with North Korea.
The President’s order followed a report that a civic group had launched anti-Pyongyang leaflets from Ganghwa Island in Incheon, west of Seoul, earlier in the day, presidential spokeswoman Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing.
“The government has previously said the illegal distribution of anti-Pyongyang leaflets should be halted, as it could jeopardise the safety of border area residents and escalate military tensions on the Korean Peninsula,” she said, adding that the government “takes violators’ actions very seriously.”
She warned of “stern measures” against those responsible, Yonhap news agency reported.
The government is scheduled to discuss comprehensive measures against anti-Pyongyang leaflets launches on Monday.
Earlier this week, Lee had ordered relevant government agencies to devise measures to counter such launches.
On Thursday, Lee Jae-myung had vowed to pursue a swift restoration of dialogue channels with North Korea, a day after his country halted loudspeaker broadcasts against the North in his first concrete measure to ease tensions with Pyongyang. In a speech marking the 25th anniversary of the 2000 inter-Korean summit, Lee said he will “stop the exhausting hostilities” with North Korea and resume inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation.
“We will swiftly restore a crisis management system that prevents accidental clashes and avoids escalating tensions,” Lee said.
“To that end, we will make efforts to quickly restore the suspended inter-Korean communication channels.”
Still, it remains to be seen how North Korea will react to Lee’s dialogue overture as Pyongyang has appeared to have little appetite for engagement with either Seoul or Washington amid its deepening alignment with Russia.
“I will make every effort to promote peace, coexistence and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula,” Lee said in the speech delivered on his behalf by Woo Sang-ho, Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, during a commemorative event.
Lee praised the June 15 Declaration signed by former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il during the 2000 summit as a milestone that laid the groundwork for peace and pledged to uphold the spirit of the landmark agreement.
“Let’s transform the Korean Peninsula risk into a Korean Peninsula premium. That is the path forward for both the South and the North,” he said.