South Korean military sent propaganda leaflets to North Korea 23 times last year: Lawmaker

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - South Korea’s military sent propaganda leaflets to North Korea 23 times last year under ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration, a lawmaker said Wednesday.

The information, revealed by ruling party member Choo Mi-ae's office, came from a Defense Ministry investigation, according to Yonhap News.

Yoon is facing accusations of sending drones to North Korea to provoke a retaliation, using it as a pretext for declaring martial law in December 2024.

In October 2023, the National Security Council approved resuming leaflet operations, to take place between February and November 2024, ahead of Yoon's unsuccessful martial law attempt on Dec. 3.

This decision followed a Constitutional Court ruling in September 2023, which declared a ban on such campaigns unconstitutional, citing the right to freedom of expression. Leaflet operations had been suspended since July 2017.

The security council's meeting on resuming operations was attended by key officials, including then-Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and then-Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho, but the specific reasons for the decision remain classified.

Following the council’s decision, the military's propaganda unit sent leaflets to 35 target areas, including major cities like Pyongyang and Wonsan, as well as military bases, from February to November 2024.

This disclosure follows a special counsel's investigation, which concluded that Yoon began preparing for martial law in October 2023, over a year before it was officially declared in December 2024.

South Korea’s National Assembly overturned the martial law within about six hours of its declaration last year, and Yoon was subsequently impeached and suspended on Dec. 14.

Yoon was arrested and indicted for leading an insurrection in January, becoming the first sitting president to be taken into custody. After being released in March, Yoon was re-arrested in July and remains detained.

The former president was formally removed from office by the Constitutional Court in April.