Alleged Pyongyang Propaganda Leaflets Found Near S Korean President's Office

Small bills have been spotted on the streets near Cheong Wa Dae, the official residence of the South Korean head of state, in Seoul, Yonhap reported. They are presumed to be North Korean propaganda leaflets. Officials said an investigation will be launched to find out how they made their way to the area.

Cheong Wa Dae security officials confirmed that a number of what is presumed to be Pyongyang propaganda leaflets were recently found in the area, with some even found in the yard of Chunchugwan, a press center on the eastern side of the presidential residence.

The bills carried at least three different messages condemning South Korea and the United States for hostility towards the North.

Officials expressed suspicion over how the leaflets found their way into the highly secured area.

"The security team has collected the bills, and related offices will soon investigate how they came to be found in the area," an official told Yonhap.

In late-August, thousands of leaflets promoting Pyongyang’s military "success" were found in Seoul. However, for such bills to be found near the presidential residence is a rare occurrence.

Since the Korean War of 1950-1953, both North and South Korea have organized a number of propaganda leaflet campaigns, using balloons as a distribution method. The Korean governments and military no longer officially conduct such campaigns, but a number of the South Korean non-governmental organizations still launch balloons with leaflets and materials across the Korean border.

Pyongyang propaganda bills are periodically found across South Korea as the North is said to send leaflets using balloons and unmanned aerial vehicles, according to the report.