Kim Young-ho: “If North Korea draws a new border line, tensions will escalate”: conflict over ‘Leaflets to North Korea’ intensifies

[Anchor]

Today (10.8), during the National Assembly's audit of the Ministry of Unification, Minister Kim Yung-ho predicted that the DPRK may raise military tensions by establishing new borders through constitutional amendments.

Meanwhile, the ruling and opposition parties continued their debate over the distribution of anti-North Korean leaflets by defector groups.

Go Eun-hee reports.

[Report]

Amid rising tensions between the two Koreas, the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee held an audit where the Minister of Unification predicted that the DPRK could further escalate tensions.

[Kim Yung-ho/Minister of Unification: "(The DPRK) is expected to amend its constitution at the Supreme People's Assembly to formally recognize (the two Koreas) as 'two states,' and there is a possibility that military tensions will increase."]

The DPRK is expected to hold the Supreme People's Assembly for more than two days, where the likelihood of establishing a new border with the South through constitutional amendments has raised concerns about potential clashes between the two Koreas.

Minister Kim refrained from commenting on the so-called 'red line' regarding military measures related to the DPRK's balloon launches but expressed a firm stance on responding appropriately.

[Kim Yung-ho/Minister of Unification: "If they send balloons containing chemical substances or if there are casualties among our citizens, that is a clear provocation, and our government must respond appropriately and strongly..."]

Regarding the distribution of anti-North Korean leaflets by defector groups, the ruling party maintained that freedom of expression should be respected, while the opposition criticized it for providing a pretext for the DPRK's balloon launches.

[Kim Gi-hyeon/People Power Party: "'Freedom of expression' is a constitutionally guaranteed right, and if the government infringes upon it, that would be a violation of the constitution in a free democratic country."]

[Cho Jeong-sik/Democratic Party: "Beyond the issue of 'freedom of expression,' it directly harms the safety and lives of our citizens. It also escalates the risk of war."]

Minister Kim stated that the DPRK's balloon launches and the leaflets from defectors cannot be equated and emphasized that policies should be directed towards enhancing the access of DPRK residents to external information.

KBS News, Go Eun-hee.