Efforts to disperse anti-North Korea leaflets stopped by police and local residents in Paju

An attempt by families of North Korean abductees to disperse anti-North leaflets across the inter-Korean border was thwarted by police and residents in Paju, northern Gyeonggi, on Thursday.

Residents in Paju, Gyeonggi, stage a protest to curb the sending of anti-North Korea flyers across the inter-Korean border on Thursday. [NEWS1]

An attempt by families of North Korean abductees to disperse anti-North leaflets across the inter-Korean border was thwarted by police and residents in Paju, northern Gyeonggi, on Thursday.

"Today's plan to send anti-regime leaflets was canceled," said Choi Seong-ryong, a representative of a group of families of those abducted by North Korea, during a press conference held in the Imjingak area of Paju at around 10:50 a.m.

The Gyeonggi provincial government has declared Paju, Gimpo and Yeoncheon County as “danger zones” under the Disasters and Safety Act. These regions share their borders with North Korea.

More than 800 police officers — both from the special judicial police force and the special task force — were on duty in the border-adjacent areas to prevent attempts to float anti-Pyongyang flyers toward the North.

Around 100 residents living near the border also blocked the road with tractors, expressing their opposition to launching anti-regime flyers. They have reportedly suffered from North Korea's loudspeaker broadcasts, which featured noises of barking dogs and metal scraping sounds.

Additionally, Incheon’s Ganghwa County declared its entire area a “danger zone” and issued an administrative order prohibiting the distribution of anti-regime flyers to the North.

The county believes that the anti-regime flyers could provoke the North Korean regime, especially as its residents have been distressed by the loud noises coming from across the border.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]