Gyeonggi Province Considers Declaring Border Areas as Danger Zones to Halt Anti-North Korea Leaflets

Gyeonggi Province: Gov. Kim Dong-yeon of Gyeonggi Province announced on Monday that his administration is contemplating the designation of certain inter-Korean border areas as "danger zones." This move aims to prevent the distribution of anti-North Korea propaganda leaflets by North Korean defectors and activists. According to Yonhap News Agency, Gov. Kim, the decision surfaced during a parliamentary inspection where lawmakers queried him about measures against escalating tensions due to alleged North Korean provocations, including drone activities and trash-laden balloons. The North has retaliated by sending these balloons across the border in response to the anti-North propaganda leaflets. Furthermore, North Korea has accused South Korea of deploying drones to disperse leaflets over Pyongyang, escalating the confrontations. During the session, Rep. Lee Hae-sik from the main opposition Democratic Party noted a direct correlation between the North's trash balloon provocations and the leaflet launches. In an immediate response, Gov. Kim directed his officials to consider designating regions such as Yeoncheon, Pocheon, Paju, Gimpo, and Goyang as potential danger zones. The implementation of such designations would allow the provincial government to issue administrative orders restricting entry to these areas for those involved in distributing anti-Pyongyang propaganda. Additionally, police would have the authority to arrest any violators of these orders, thereby reinforcing the crackdown on this form of activism.