» Thousands of North Koreans pack Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, for a rally condemning South Korea and the U.S., following allegations by South Korea that a North Korean torpedo struck and sank a South Korean warship, May 30.(AP Photo)
The Ministry of National Defense stated that it would prudently consider the
timeframe for distributing propaganda leaflets across the armistice line to North
Korea. The ministry had previously planned to resume the leaflet distribution early last week, hinting at a plan to delay distribution for the time being.
Deputy Defense Minister Chang Kwang-Il said Sunday that they would decide on
the timing of the leaflet distribution after making comprehensive decisions over
several factors and the weather. This explanation indicates that the Defense
Ministry plans to delay the timing of the distribution for the time being, taking
into consideration North Korea’s vehement protests and a request by South
Korean businesses in Kaesong for Seoul to hold off on restarting psychological
warfare aimed at North Korea.
The resumption of psychological warfare broadcasts to North Korea through
loudspeakers set up along the demilitarized zone (DMZ), which had been planned
for the around the second week in June, is also scheduled for delay. A military
official said it would take time to repair some of the equipment that was removed six years ago, and even after installing the equipment, an assessment of the situation will be needed when resuming the broadcasts. Military authorities
reportedly plan to continue psychological warfare radio broadcasts using FM
frequencies, which restarted on May 24 when the government announced its
measures against North Korea.
Many have stated that concerns over a military conflict, with North Korea
repeatedly warning it would fire on loudspeakers if broadcasts were restarted, are
at work behind the military authorities’ cautious attitudes. Moreover, it appears
government officials are also concerned, amid plans to refer the sinking of the
Cheonan to the UN Security Council, that a full-scale restart of psychological
warfare could draw critical international opinion.
Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry released a press statement Sunday that refuted
statements released by North Korea during a press conference last Friday that
called the South Korea’s investigation into the sinking of the Cheonan a fabrication. The Defense Ministry in turn called the North Korean claim the
agitation and propagation of falsehoods.
In response to North Korea’s denial that it even has 130-ton Sango-class
submarines, that South Korean authorities said were responsible for launching the torpedo that caused the sinking, the Defense Ministry said North Korea, and even several other countries including one specific Middle Eastern nation, are currently operating 130-ton submarines armed with heavy torpedoes, and that they are in the process of acquiring video footage of a North Korean 130-ton submarine.
The Defense Ministry also refuted North Korea’s claim that it had never released a brochure detailing a torpedo blueprint when exporting torpedoes, saying the
brochures, printed by a North Korean state-owned trading company, were
acquired through a third nation. The Defense Ministry has not released the
brochure, however, stating that it is “classified military information.”
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