1. South Korea has announced it would resume anti-North Korean propaganda loudspeaker broadcast in border areas.
2. The move comes in retaliation to the North sending over 1,000 balloon filled with trash and manure over the last couple of weeks.
3. With the loudspeakers, South Korea may blare anti-Pyongyang broadcasts, K-pop songs and outside news across the rival's heavily armed border.
4. The decision occurs is certain to anger Pyongyang and potentially prompt it to take retaliatory, military stepsl.
5. It also adds to tensions between the war-divided rivals. I'm Karen Chammas.
대북전단 살포 금지법(남북관계발전법 개정안) Prohibition on distributing anti-North Korea leaflets (Amendment to the Inter-Korean Relations Development Act)
The Constitutional Court ruled that the "Anti-North Korea Leaflet Distribution Prohibition Act", , violates the Constitution. As a result, the anti-North Korea leaflet distribution ban law lost effect about two years and six months after its implementation.
On the 26th of September, 2023, in a case confirming the unconstitutionality of some amendments to the Inter-Korean Relations Development Act, the Court ruled ‘unconstitutional’ with a 7 to 2 opinion of the judges.
The Court said, “The purpose of the legislation is justified as it is to fulfill the national responsibility of ensuring the life and physical safety of the people, alleviating tensions between North and South Korea, and pursuing peaceful unification,” but added, “The content of the restricted expressions is very broad and the final “It excessively restricts freedom of expression by mobilizing the state’s penal power, which should be used as a means,” the judge said. In addition to the punishment for distributing anti-North Korea leaflets, the punishment was made even though there were “less invasive means” such as police intervention and the introduction of a prior reporting system for distributing leaflets, thereby violating the ‘principle against excessive use.’