Announcement of leaflets on the east coast...Establishment of 'Danger Zone' in Goseong-gun

[Anchor]
Conflicts are rising again as the distribution of leaflets to North Korea, which was canceled last month due to residents' opposition at the border area of Gyeonggi-do, is being pushed forward in Goseong, Gangwon-do.

Goseong-gun has set up a "danger zone" for the safety of residents, and fishermen who are concerned about disruption in operations are also strongly protesting.

Reporter Song Se-hyuk covered it.

[Reporter]
In October 2008, off the coast of Geojin Port in Goseong, Gangwon-do.

Balloons strapping leaflets to North Korea from fishing boats fly to North Korea.

The family group of abductees, who led the distribution of leaflets at the time, predicted that it would fly leaflets at sea and on land again for the first time in 16 years.

According to the Coast Guard's explanation that the use of fishing boats is a violation of the Fishing Boat Act, we decided to use another ship this time.

In response, the Coast Guard plans to decide whether to allow entry and exit after reviewing legal issues and safety.

[Choi Seong-ryong / Chairman of the abductees family group: It is not the people's responsibility or the public officials' responsibility to prevent this from happening when sending a newsletter]

However, local fishermen are strongly protesting.

This is because if military tensions between the two Koreas increase due to leaflets, the northernmost fishing grounds on the east coast will be controlled, which is feared to directly hit livelihoods.

[Fisherman(voice modulation)] Octopus and now we're starting to get caught, but if we can't go up there (the fishing ground), it'll hurt us a lot.]

Goseong-gun has set Geojin-eup and Hyeonnae-myeon as "dangerous zones" for the safety of residents and issued an executive order banning the distribution of leaflets to North Korea.

Recently, the police sent the head of a North Korean defector group who flew fliers to North Korea in Gyeonggi Province to the prosecution on charges of violating the Aviation Safety Security Act.

The North Korean leaflet conflict, which began at the border of Gyeonggi-do Province, has spread to Gangwon-do, raising anxiety and tension among residents.

I'm YTN's Song Sehyuk.