The Presidential Office has denied the media report that North Korea informed it on Saturday that Pyongyang would start an operation to destroy anti-Pyongyang leaflets from South Korea.

Presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook said Monday the Office of National Security at the Presidential Office did not receive any notice from the North regarding the operation. Asked whether another government body received such a notice, Min said the presidential office is not in charge of notices received by other government organizations.

A local media outlet reported early Monday that the North sent a message to the Office of National Security on Saturday, saying it would initiate the leaflet-extermination operation.

On Friday, the North fired anti-aircraft machine guns to shoot down balloons sent over the inter-Korean border by South Korean civic groups. The balloons contained the leaflets criticizing the North Korean regime.

With regard to the shooting, Seoul's defense ministry said it warned the North on Sunday that Seoul would sternly deal with additional provocations, noting that Friday's shooting violated the Charter of the United Nations, the Korean War Armistice Agreement and the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement.