South Korean activists release a banner showing North Koran leader Kim Jong-Un hanging on a balloon at a field near the Demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas in the border city of Paju on April 29, 2016. 鈥� South Korean and US activists on April 29 launched anti-Pyongyang leaflets over the border where tensions have been running high since the isolated state鈥檚 last nuclear test in January. (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE / AFP)
SEOUL 鈥� North Korea has threatened to close a liaison office with the South as officials seethe over anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent across the border, saying further steps were also in the pipeline to make Seoul 鈥渟uffer.鈥�
The warning is the second in two days of possible retaliation over Seoul鈥檚 failure to stop North Korean defectors dropping the information from hot-air balloons criticizing the regime鈥檚 human rights record and nuclear ambitions.
On Thursday, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, threatened to scrap a military agreement signed with Seoul and pull the plug on other inter-Korean projects.
鈥淎s the first thing, we will definitely withdraw the idling North-South joint liaison office,鈥� a spokesman for the North鈥檚 United Front Department, which handles inter-Korean relations, said in a statement Friday carried by the Korean Central 黑料社 Agency.
The closure of the office could be followed by 鈥渧arious measures鈥� to punish Seoul, the spokesman added.
鈥淲e are about to start work that can hurt the South side soon to make it suffer,鈥� he said.
South Korean officials have said they will push for a law banning the leaflet activities, but the move has triggered a debate over potential infringements on freedom of expression.
An official with the South鈥檚 presidential office has said the leaflet campaign does聽鈥渕ore harm than good鈥�.
Operations at the liaison office have already been suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.