The unification ministry has expressed regret over the launch of anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets over the inter-Korean border by a civic group in South Korea and has strongly urged the group to stop.

In a briefing on Monday, ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam expressed deep regret that the Association of the Families of Those Abducted by North Korea sent leaflets across the border the previous Monday after doing so on April 27 and May 8 despite the ministry’s requests to refrain. 

Koo strongly urged the group to suspend the activity, saying it raises tensions on the Korean Peninsula and could threaten the lives and safety of people who reside near the border. 

Monday’s request was the first from the government since the Constitutional Court ruled in September 2023 that freedom of expression regarding the leaflet launches should be guaranteed.

The unification ministry has apparently shifted its stance with the change of government to convey to the North that it is interested in improving strained inter-Korean relations. 

The head of the Association of the Families of Those Abducted by North Korea, Choi Sung-ryong, told the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency that his group will continue to send leaflets into the North.

During his campaign, President Lee Jae-myung pledged to halt the launch of anti-Pyongyang leaflets and loudspeaker broadcasts to prevent accidental clashes between the two sides.