The ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said it is communicating with a North Korean defectors’ group that has announced plans to fly anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border.

An official at Seoul's unification ministry said on Tuesday that the government’s approach to the issue takes into account the Constitutional Court's related decision calling for a guarantee of freedom of expression.

The official, however, said appropriate measures could be taken on-site when deemed necessary, referring to a past incident when the police legally intervened amid a physical clash between a defectors’ group and local residents.

The official added that the government continues to remain in contact with the group regarding safety concerns along the border.

On Sunday, the North said it would temporarily stop floating trash-carrying balloons across the border, before threatening to resume such activities on a much larger scale should defectors’ groups send propaganda leaflets.

One defectors’ group, Fighters for a Free North Korea, responded the following day, saying that they will send leaflets unless North Korean leader Kim Jong-un apologizes for sending the balloons.