Foreign Affairs and Trade Commission's Battle for North Korea... "Freedom of Expression" vs "Dereliction of Unification Ministry's duty"

The ruling and opposition parties argued over the distribution of leaflets by North Korean defector groups to North Korea during parliamentary audits such as the Ministry of Unification of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.

The ruling party lawmakers pointed out that the distribution of leaflets to North Korea constitutes freedom of expression, and that North Korea is conducting an asymmetric military threat test called a filth balloon as an excuse.

On the other hand, opposition lawmakers countered that North Korea's provocation of filth balloons was a retaliatory response against North Korea's leaflets, saying that the Ministry of Unification is passive in sending leaflets to the North while abandoning its duties.

Unification Minister Kim Young-ho said the Constitutional Court ruled that the anti-North Korean leaflet law was unconstitutional, adding that North Korean filth balloons cannot be compared equally with North Korean balloons sent by North Korean defectors.