Seoul's Unification Ministry has welcomed a parliamentary committee's passage of a revised bill that bans sending propaganda leaflets into North Korea.

In a press release Wednesday, the ministry said the revision will help protect the over one million residents in border regions, improve cross-border relations and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The ministry vowed to do its best to protect South Korean lives and safety and continue to lay the foundation for sustainable development in inter-Korean ties so that cross-border agreements could be implemented.

Earlier in the day, the ruling Democratic Party unilaterally passed the bill during a plenary meeting of the National Assembly's foreign affairs and unification committee, banning the release of anti-Pyongyang leaflets near the inter-Korean border. Opposition parties opposed the revision and walked out of the session in protest. 

The government has advised against leaflet campaigns, citing safety concerns for border area residents.