Current:Home > MySouth Korea’s Constitutional Court strikes down law banning anti-Pyongyang leafleting -Capitatum
South Korea’s Constitutional Court strikes down law banning anti-Pyongyang leafleting
View
Date:2025-04-13 20:14:56
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday struck down a 2020 law that criminalized the sending of anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets to North Korea, calling it an excessive restriction on free speech.
The ruling came in response to a complaint filed by North Korean defector-activists in the South. They included Park Sang-hak, who has been a frequent target of North Korean government anger for his yearslong campaign of flying leaflets across the border with balloons.
The law was crafted by the previous liberal government in Seoul that desperately pushed for inter-Korean engagement. It made leafleting a crime punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of 30 million won ($22,000).
The law passed in December 2020, six months after the North expressed its displeasure over the leaflets by blowing up an inter-Korean liaison office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong.
Park and South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, did not immediately comment on the court’s decision, which immediately invalidated the law. Park and other activists could still be blocked by police in situations where their leafleting activities are seen as risking the safety of South Koreans living in border areas, the court said.
The court’s justices voted 7-2 in favor of nullifying the law, concluding that it excessively restricts freedom of expression in a broad range of activities and “mobilizes the state power of punishment when that should be a last resort.”
Citing the tensions between the rival Koreas, the court acknowledged that the law was based on legitimate concerns about the safety of South Korean residents in border areas. The majority opinion said the government still would have the ability to keep the activists in check, including police monitoring and intervention, but that it would be wrong to hold the activists responsible for damage and danger directly caused by North Korean provocations.
Park and other defectors from the North for years have used huge helium-filled balloons to launch leaflets criticizing the leadership of North Korea’s authoritarian ruler, Kim Jong Un, his nuclear weapons ambitions and the country’s dismal human rights record. The leaflets are often packaged with U.S. dollar bills. and USB sticks containing information about world news.
In his latest launch, Park said he flew 20 balloons carrying 200,000 leaflets and 1,000 USB sticks from a South Korean border island last Wednesday.
North Korea is extremely sensitive about any outside attempt to undermine Kim’s leadership as he maintains tight control over the country’s 26 million people while severely restricting their access to foreign news.
Aside of detonating the liaison office, North Korea also in 2014 fired at propaganda balloons flying toward its territory. South Korea then returned fire, but there were no casualties.
veryGood! (654)
Related
- Kansas City Chiefs CEO's Daughter Ava Hunt Hospitalized After Falling Down a Mountain
- Skin needing hydration and a refresh? Here's a guide to Korean skincare routines
- Second person dies from shooting at Detroit Lions tailgate party
- iPhone 16, new Watch and AirPods are coming: But is Apple thinking differently enough?
- Tropical rains flood homes in an inland Georgia neighborhood for the second time since 2016
- October Prime Day 2024: Everything We Know and Early Deals You Can Shop Now
- Northern lights forecast: These Midwest states may catch Monday's light show
- Their relatives died after a Baltimore bridge collapsed. Here's who they blame
- Man charged with murder in death of beloved Detroit-area neurosurgeon
- Ex-officer testifies he beat a ‘helpless’ Tyre Nichols then lied about it
Ranking
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- Tate Ratledge injury update: Georgia OL reportedly expected to be out several weeks
- With Wyoming’s Regional Haze Plan ‘Partially Rejected,’ Conservationists Await Agency’s Final Proposal
- What's next for Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers after QB's benching?
- Meet 11-year-old skateboarder Zheng Haohao, the youngest Olympian competing in Paris
- Radio Nikki: Haley launching a weekly SiriusXM radio talk show at least through January
- Ellen Star Sophia Grace Reveals Sex of Baby No. 2
- Jordan Chiles takes fight over Olympic bronze medal to Swiss high court
Recommendation
Drones warned New York City residents about storm flooding. The Spanish translation was no bueno
Don’t Miss Gap Outlet’s Extra 60% off Clearance Sale – Score a $59 Dress for $16, $5 Tanks & More
Former Eagles player Jason Kelce brings star power to ESPN's MNF coverage
23andMe agrees to $30 million settlement over data breach that affected 6.9 million users
Billy Bean was an LGBTQ advocate and one of baseball's great heroes
Election officials prepare for threats with panic buttons, bulletproof glass
Kentucky deputy killed in exchange of gunfire with suspect, sheriff says
Georgia official seeks more school safety money after Apalachee High shooting