The South Korean military has belatedly revealed that it received a North Korean notice saying that Pyongyang started an operation to destroy anti-North Korean leaflets launched from South Korea.
 
A military official said that Pyongyang sent the notice on Saturday to the South Korean chief delegate to the inter-Korean general-level talks.
 
The message came a day after the North fired anti-aircraft machine guns to shoot down balloons carrying the leaflets over the inter-Korean border that were launched by South Korean civic groups. 
 
Observers say that the North sent the notice in response to the South Korean military’s message condemning Friday’s shooting as a violation of the UN Charter, the Korean War Armistice Agreement and the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement.
 
On Sunday, North Korea again warned that it would launch stronger physical responses if the distribution of anti-Pyongyang leaflets continues.