Activists Clash Over Anti-N. Korea Flyers

Rival activists yesterday scuffled over sending anti-North Korea leaflets over the border into North Korea. The South Korean government has urged a stop to sending the flyers.

Six members from the Fighters for a Free North Korea and the Families of Abducted and Detained in North Korea tried to send some 100,000 leaflets in huge balloons in front of Freedom Bridge in Imjingak, an area near the border, in the morning. They clashed with some 50 members of the Korea Alliance for Progressive Movement and the Korea Women’s Federation for half an hour.

In the scuffle, a member of Free North Korea who was preparing to send flyers hit a man from a rival group on the head. The injured was taken to a hospital for treatment and police went after the assailant.

The two groups planned to send some 100,000 leaflets to North Korea in 10 large balloons, but 10,000 leaflets were blown away due to the clash.

The plastic leaflets expressed criticism of the tyranny of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and the list and addresses of 436 South Korean fishermen abducted by the North.

“Police just sat back and watched while they used violence and hampered the sending of flyers,” said Choi Seong-ryong, president of the abductees` family group. “If Pyongyang and Seoul deal with the abductees, we will stop sending leaflets right away.”

“The scuffle began when those who were trying to send flyers drove their truck toward us while we were holding a news conference,” said Hwang Wang-taek, an activist from an opposition group. “We just urged them to stop sending flyers for the interest of the nation.”

Since Choi and other activists claimed that 50 people rushed to discourage the sending of the leaflets by using violence and took some 20,000 leaflets away, police are looking at video clips and photos taken at the site.

Choi said, “We will send more flyers to broader regions from tomorrow (Wednesday) and will show the will of the abductees’ families.”

argus@donga.com