North Korea blames Seoul for leaflet campaign, may reconsider high-level talks

SEOUL, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- North Korea warned South Korea on Sunday that it is reconsidering high-level talks expected to be held at the end of the month because of the distribution of anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border.

The North's National Defense Commission sent a fax to the South's presidential office early Sunday, blaming Seoul for failing to stop activists from distributing the propaganda and advising Seoul to "think about whether high-level contact can be held in such a mood."

In response, the South's National Security Council told the North it cannot control such legal, civilian activities, and sought clarity from the North as to whether or not it would participate in the first vice-ministerial talks scheduled for Thursday.

Pyongyang's threat to reconsider such talks follows a statement issued Friday that the distribution of leaflets sent by balloon from South Korea is "a de facto declaration of war to insult and slander our supreme self-dignity and system with every kind of false and fabricated information."

Activists in South Korea had planned to dispatch 100,000 leaflets across the border on Saturday. Some border residents, however, fearing the propaganda would further anger the North, tussled with activists in an attempt to stop the distribution.

"I won't let them provoke Kim Jong Un into firing shells at my town, said South Korean farmer Lee Jae-wook, who explained "I can't afford to lose the peace I need in this busy harvest season."