Dec. 17 (Asia Today) -- A South Korean military internal investigation found the government decided in late 2023 to resume leaflet drops targeting North Korea after a yearslong suspension and that the operation was tightly controlled through secure communications with instructions to leave no paper trail, according to findings released by an opposition lawmaker.
Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, disclosed on Wednesday the Defense Ministry's investigation results into personnel involved in the chain of command, including the Armed Forces Psychological Warfare Unit and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
According to the findings provided by Choo's office, the decision to restart leaflet operations was made by the National Security Council during the administration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol after leaflet distribution had been halted since July 2017.
The report said that after South Korea's Constitutional Court ruled the anti-leaflet law unconstitutional in September 2023, the NSC convened a standing committee meeting to evaluate the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement and discuss countermeasures. The investigation found the 34th NSC meeting, attended by then Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, Unification Minister Kim Young-ho and National Intelligence Service Director Kim Kyu-hyun, discussed leaflet distribution to North Korea.
