hankyoreh

Kim Yo-jong, deputy department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea. (still from KCTV)

North Korea’s Kim Yo-jong issued yet another “stern warning” to Seoul on Tuesday, threatening that the South will pay a “gruesome and dear price” following the discovery of more propaganda leaflets that had been floated across the border. Kim’s statement was released a mere two days after one addressing the same issue was made public on Sunday.
 
The deputy department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s comments came in a press statement made public by the state-run KCNA, in which she said that North Korea had discovered 29 large balloons sent by “ROK scum” near the border at dawn on Tuesday. 

According to Kim, 10 balloons were found in Cholwon County, eight in Sinphyong County, five in Ichon County, four in Phangyo County, one in Koksan County, and one in Phyonggang County, and that “specialized organs are now searching, disposing of and incinerating” the leaflets.
 
She also claimed that similar reports on leaflets have also been reported in other areas and that the blockades of relevant areas are increasing the inconvenience of the people, creating a situation that North Korea “cannot overlook.”
 
Kim suggested that the North could resort to new provocations by stating, “If the ROK scum persist in their crude and dirty play, the mode of counteraction of the DPRK will inevitably be changed.”
 
In response to leaflet-carrying propaganda balloons sent north by a South Korean defector group, North Korea has sent over seven waves of trash-filled balloons — over 2,000 balloons in total — since May 28. Kim’s mention of a change in countermeasures makes it likely that Pyongyang will resort to different methods of provocation. In 2014, North Korea used machine guns to shoot down the balloons.
 
Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said it’s imperative that Seoul prepare itself for what may come. 

“We need to be thoroughly prepared for whether North Korea will revert to its old countermeasures, such as gunfire and drone provocations, or whether it will concentrate on sending the waste balloons to the airports in Incheon or Gimpo,” he said. 

He emphasized that the two countries should stay prudent. “In this current situation, both South and North Korea should refrain from floating balloons, as even the smallest provocation could escalate into conflict,” he said. 
 
The South Korean military has declared that it may also respond if North Korea sends more trash-filled balloons south. 

“The military has response manuals for various situations, and we have many options,” said Lee Seong-jun, the spokesperson for the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a regular briefing on Monday, adding that it would be inappropriate to disclose such responses in advance.
 
As for whether loudspeaker broadcasts will be resumed, Lee stated, “I have stated that we will respond flexibly depending on the strategic and operational situation. Such responses will be made based on assessments of the situation as it occurs.”

By Park Min-hee, senior staff writer

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]