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| ▲ A group representing the families of abductees to North Korea holds a press conference in Suwon, south of Seoul, on Oct. 24, 2024, announcing a plan to send leaflets to North Korea. (Yonhap) |
civic groups-leaflet campaign
Abductee families' group to send leaflets to Pyongyang this week
PAJU, South Korea, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- A group representing the families of those abducted by North Korea said Monday it would fly leaflets into North Korea this week, aiming to raise awareness about the abductee issue.
An unspecified number of leaflets bearing the names and photos of abductees in North Korea will be sent across the border from the western border city of Paju on Thursday, the group's head told Yonhap News Agency.
A copy of a leaflet shown by the group included images and descriptions of those abducted by North Korea, including Megumi Yokota from Japan and five other Koreans who were abducted as high school students.
Last week, Choi Seong-ryong, the group's head, vowed to use all means to ensure the leaflets land in downtown Pyongyang, saying the group would have no better opportunity to raise awareness about the abductee issue.
Their planned action also aims to press North Korea to engage in dialogue over the issue of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War and to halt its trash balloon campaign against the South, he said.
In response to such leaflets and what it calls a propaganda campaign, North Korea had sent balloons carrying trash toward South Korea, raising tensions with Seoul.
Citing potential security risks to residents, the regional government of Gyeonggi earlier designated Paju and two other regions below the inter-Korean border as "danger zones" requiring disaster protection, effective from Oct. 16 to Nov. 30.
The Gyeonggi regional authorities, military and police are expected to discuss joint responses to block the declared leaflet campaign.
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