North Koreans celebrate founding leader Kim Il Sung's birthday

A South Korean publisher's defiant move to release the memoirs of the North's founder Kim Il Sung has triggered a heated debate over Seoul's decades-old ban on Pyongyang's propaganda under national security laws.

Critics of the measure say Southerners are politically mature enough to judge such material for themselves and argue it amounts to unnecessary censorship in a vibrant democracy that is one of the most wired and educated countries in the world.

But the South remains officially at&nbsp;war with its nuclear-armed and impoverished neighbour, with legislation to match.

The national security&nbsp;law dates from 1948, before the outbreak of the Korean War, and still blocks ordinary citizens from accessing most North Korean-produced content, including its official Rodong Sinmun newspaper.

Reproducing or possessing banned pro-Pyongyang materials is punishable by up to seven years in prison.&nbsp;

Even so publisher Kim Seung-kyun in April released the North Korean founder's eight-volume memoirs, titled "With the Century", said&nbsp;he did so to promote inter-Korean reconciliation.

An anti-North civic group filed a criminal complaint, police launched an investigation and within days the country's major bookstores, who had received it via a publishers' association -- pulled it from their shelves.

It briefly remained available online for 280,000 won ($250) for the full set, but by last week it was no longer available from popular web portal Naver, while searches on local bookselling platforms Kyobo and Yes24 showed no results.

The moves triggered a debate over censorship and whether people really needed to be protected from reading the words of Kim Il&nbsp;Sung.

"South Koreans already have a high level of&nbsp;judgement," said&nbsp;Ha Tae-keung, a lawmaker from the conservative People Power Party, who was jailed under the national security law as a student activist.&nbsp;

"No one is going to be deceived by a fantasy-like memoir of Kim Il Sung&nbsp;anymore," said. "We now need to actively guarantee freedom of expression."

Personality cult&nbsp;

Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of the North's current&nbsp;leader Kim Jong Un,&nbsp;ruled the world's most reclusive country for nearly five decades until his death in 1994, with a mixture of his own brand of Stalinism and an unabashed personality&nbsp;cult.

The memoir, first published by Pyongyang in 1992 and available in around 20 languages around the world,&nbsp;portrays him as a heroic Korean guerilla leader against Japanese colonial forces, often denying and downplaying his Chinese and Soviet connections.

Researchers describe it as largely a "work of fiction" with archival Soviet evidence disproving some of its key claims, but add that it has value regardless of historical inaccuracies.

Despite its "mind-numbing prose", the book revealed Pyongyang's "propensity to falsehoods" and "cult of personality", said Sung-yoon Lee, a Korean studies professor at Tufts University in the United States.

Suzy Kim,&nbsp;a Korean history professor at&nbsp;Rutgers University, said it demonstrated how the regime in Pyongyang "traces its legitimacy to its anticolonial roots".

To this day, she added, many of the North's challenges are "often justified as sacrifices made for standing up to continued imperialist policies imposed by the Japanese and US governments".

Democracy and war

The national security law technically makes mere possession of pro-North materials punishable by up to seven years in prison, while visiting the country without government permission has a maximum 10 year sentence.

The United Nations has said&nbsp;the act poses a "seriously problematic" challenge to freedom of expression in the South, and the US State department regularly criticises it in its annual human rights reports.&nbsp;

Thousands were imprisoned under the legislation by the authoritarian military governments that ruled the South for decades, often accused of engaging in pro-Pyongyang activities or spying for the North.

Publisher Kim -- who originally obtained the text several years ago for a government-authorised restricted distribution to research institutions --&nbsp;said he had no intention of benefitting Pyongyang.

Releasing the text was "a way to love my country" by promoting inter-Korean understanding, the 82-year-old said&nbsp;at his home in Goyang.

"If that is deemed a crime, I am willing to be punished."

Police confirmed&nbsp;that their investigation into whether Kim had violated the national security law was continuing.

New Paradigm of Korea, the group that filed the complaint, insisted that the general public was susceptible to "totalitarian propaganda manipulation".

Allowing the book's distribution would be "comparable to handing a nuclear bag to the enemy on a spiritual level", it added.

But Professor Lee said: "Let the publisher and consumer act freely and allow the market, including the market of ideas, determine the book's fate.

"The freedom of speech, even false and outrageous speech that beautifies the despicable, should be protected in a genuine democracy."

(With inputs from agencies)

A South Korean publisher's defiant move to release the memoirs of the North's founder Kim Il Sung has triggered a heated debate over Seoul's decades-old ban on Pyongyang's propaganda under national security laws.

A South Korean publisher's defiant move to release the memoirs of the North's founder Kim Il Sung has triggered a heated debate over Seoul's decades-old ban on Pyongyang's propaganda under national security laws. Critics of the measure say Southerners are politically mature enough to judge such material for themselves and argue it amounts to unnecessary censorship in a vibrant democracy that is one of the most wired and educated countries in the world. But the South remains officially at war with its nuclear-armed and impoverished neighbour, with legislation to match. The national security law dates from 1948, before the outbreak of the Korean War, and still blocks ordinary citizens from accessing most North Korean-produced content, including its official Rodong Sinmun newspaper. Reproducing or possessing banned pro-Pyongyang materials is punishable by up to seven years in prison. Even so publisher Kim Seung-kyun in April released the North Korean founder's eight-volume memoirs, titled "With the Century", said he did so to promote inter-Korean reconciliation. An anti-North civic group filed a criminal complaint, police launched an investigation and within days the country's major bookstores, who had received it via a publishers' association -- pulled it from their shelves. It briefly remained available online for 280,000 won ($250) for the full set, but by last week it was no longer available from popular web portal Naver, while searches on local bookselling platforms Kyobo and Yes24 showed no results. The moves triggered a debate over censorship and whether people really needed to be protected from reading the words of Kim Il Sung. "South Koreans already have a high level of judgement," said Ha Tae-keung, a lawmaker from the conservative People Power Party, who was jailed under the national security law as a student activist. "No one is going to be deceived by a fantasy-like memoir of Kim Il Sung anymore," said. "We now need to actively guarantee freedom of expression." Personality cult Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of the North's current leader Kim Jong Un, ruled the world's most reclusive country for nearly five decades until his death in 1994, with a mixture of his own brand of Stalinism and an unabashed personality cult. The memoir, first published by Pyongyang in 1992 and available in around 20 languages around the world, portrays him as a heroic Korean guerilla leader against Japanese colonial forces, often denying and downplaying his Chinese and Soviet connections. Researchers describe it as largely a "work of fiction" with archival Soviet evidence disproving some of its key claims, but add that it has value regardless of historical inaccuracies. Despite its "mind-numbing prose", the book revealed Pyongyang's "propensity to falsehoods" and "cult of personality", said Sung-yoon Lee, a Korean studies professor at Tufts University in the United States. Suzy Kim, a Korean history professor at Rutgers University, said it demonstrated how the regime in Pyongyang "traces its legitimacy to its anticolonial roots". To this day, she added, many of the North's challenges are "often justified as sacrifices made for standing up to continued imperialist policies imposed by the Japanese and US governments". Democracy and war The national security law technically makes mere possession of pro-North materials punishable by up to seven years in prison, while visiting the country without government permission has a maximum 10 year sentence. The United Nations has said the act poses a "seriously problematic" challenge to freedom of expression in the South, and the US State department regularly criticises it in its annual human rights reports. Thousands were imprisoned under the legislation by the authoritarian military governments that ruled the South for decades, often accused of engaging in pro-Pyongyang activities or spying for the North. Publisher Kim -- who originally obtained the text several years ago for a government-authorised restricted distribution to research institutions -- said he had no intention of benefitting Pyongyang. Releasing the text was "a way to love my country" by promoting inter-Korean understanding, the 82-year-old said at his home in Goyang. "If that is deemed a crime, I am willing to be punished." Police confirmed that their investigation into whether Kim had violated the national security law was continuing. New Paradigm of Korea, the group that filed the complaint, insisted that the general public was susceptible to "totalitarian propaganda manipulation". Allowing the book's distribution would be "comparable to handing a nuclear bag to the enemy on a spiritual level", it added. But Professor Lee said: "Let the publisher and consumer act freely and allow the market, including the market of ideas, determine the book's fate. "The freedom of speech, even false and outrageous speech that beautifies the despicable, should be protected in a genuine democracy." (With inputs from agencies)

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Twice as many foreigners as last year gathered in Pyongyang Sunday for the city's annual marathon, tour firms said, as reduced tensions see visitor numbers rise in isolated North Korea.&nbsp;

The event — part of the celebrations for the anniversary of founder Kim Il Sung's birth in 1912 — is the highlight of the North's tourism calendar and offers the chance to run or jog through the streets of the tightly-controlled city.

Around 950 Westerners entered the event, according to market leader Koryo Tours, compared to some 450 last year when numbers slumped.

That brought participation almost back to the levels of 2017, before tensions soared as the North carried out a series of missile launches and leader Kim Jong Un traded threats and personal insults with US President Donald Trump.

The same year, Washington also banned its citizens from visiting the North following the death of Otto Warmbier, a US student jailed for trying to steal a propaganda poster who died in a mysterious coma days after his release.

Several other countries subsequently raised their travel warnings, a combination of events that dealt a significant blow to the North's tourism industry.

The US ban remains in place but more Western tourists signed up for the marathon this time, tour operators said, following a year of high-level diplomacy between Trump and Kim.

"As political tensions have subsided, tourism demand has increased," said Elliott Davies, director at Uri Tours, another operator, adding: "You could plot a graph in this direct relationship."

- 'Marathon chasers' - 
The vast majority of tourists to the North are Chinese and some 5,000 Westerners a year used to visit the North -- with about 20 percent of those from the US -- seeking unique adventures in one of the most closed countries in the world.

The annual race also attracts so-called "Marathon Chasers" who tick off runs around the world, said Matt Kulesza, a senior tour guide at Young Pioneer Tours.

Angel Arnaudov, a 34-year-old engineer from Macedonia, said Pyongyang came onto his "radar" after finishing more than 30 marathons in cities ranging from Tokyo, New York and Copenhagen.

"I want to experience the life in North Korea myself and see if it is like they say on TV or different," he said, adding he would be posting videos on his YouTube channel.

For third-time participant Jasmine Barrett, the Pyongyang Marathon was an opportunity to interact with ordinary North Koreans who line the streets to cheer on the runners, offering high-fives and posing for selfies.

"I keep coming back because I love to see the smiles on the children's faces," the Australian entrepreneur told AFP.

"I'd definitely recommend it to others because it's a great way to see the city and the people who live there," she added.

Tour operators advise visitors to take extra precautions about "what to do and what not to do" when travelling in the North.

Simon Cockerell, Koryo Tours' general manager, said: "This is vital when visiting North Korea and anyone wanting to travel shouldn't go without a briefing."

Twice as many foreigners as last year gathered in Pyongyang Sunday for the city's annual marathon, tour firms said, as reduced tensions see visitor numbers rise in isolated North Korea.

Twice as many foreigners as last year gathered in Pyongyang Sunday for the city's annual marathon, tour firms said, as reduced tensions see visitor numbers rise in isolated North Korea. The event — part of the celebrations for the anniversary of founder Kim Il Sung's birth in 1912 — is the highlight of the North's tourism calendar and offers the chance to run or jog through the streets of the tightly-controlled city. Around 950 Westerners entered the event, according to market leader Koryo Tours, compared to some 450 last year when numbers slumped. That brought participation almost back to the levels of 2017, before tensions soared as the North carried out a series of missile launches and leader Kim Jong Un traded threats and personal insults with US President Donald Trump. The same year, Washington also banned its citizens from visiting the North following the death of Otto Warmbier, a US student jailed for trying to steal a propaganda poster who died in a mysterious coma days after his release. Several other countries subsequently raised their travel warnings, a combination of events that dealt a significant blow to the North's tourism industry. The US ban remains in place but more Western tourists signed up for the marathon this time, tour operators said, following a year of high-level diplomacy between Trump and Kim. "As political tensions have subsided, tourism demand has increased," said Elliott Davies, director at Uri Tours, another operator, adding: "You could plot a graph in this direct relationship." - 'Marathon chasers' - The vast majority of tourists to the North are Chinese and some 5,000 Westerners a year used to visit the North -- with about 20 percent of those from the US -- seeking unique adventures in one of the most closed countries in the world. The annual race also attracts so-called "Marathon Chasers" who tick off runs around the world, said Matt Kulesza, a senior tour guide at Young Pioneer Tours. Angel Arnaudov, a 34-year-old engineer from Macedonia, said Pyongyang came onto his "radar" after finishing more than 30 marathons in cities ranging from Tokyo, New York and Copenhagen. "I want to experience the life in North Korea myself and see if it is like they say on TV or different," he said, adding he would be posting videos on his YouTube channel. For third-time participant Jasmine Barrett, the Pyongyang Marathon was an opportunity to interact with ordinary North Koreans who line the streets to cheer on the runners, offering high-fives and posing for selfies. "I keep coming back because I love to see the smiles on the children's faces," the Australian entrepreneur told AFP. "I'd definitely recommend it to others because it's a great way to see the city and the people who live there," she added. Tour operators advise visitors to take extra precautions about "what to do and what not to do" when travelling in the North. Simon Cockerell, Koryo Tours' general manager, said: "This is vital when visiting North Korea and anyone wanting to travel shouldn't go without a briefing."

North Korea holds marathon, tourist numbers are double from last year

Days after a historic inter-Korean summit Lee Min-bok, a defector who has been flying anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the North for 15 years, received a call from an official at Seoul's Unification Ministry urging him to halt his balloon campaign.

It was a plea by South Korea not to jeopardise the recent thaw, engineered by the leaders of the two Koreas who agreed during last week's summit to cease all hostile acts along the border - including the distribution of leaflets - from May 1.

On Saturday, police prevented a planned release of balloons by a defector group after a confrontation with anti-leaflet protesters.

For Lee, the campaign is personal. He says reading such leaflets as a young man in the North brought an "awakening moment" in 1990 that helped him realise how oppressive and destitute his homeland was at a time when the South was emerging as an economic powerhouse. In 1995, he escaped to South Korea.

"I really believed that Kim Il Sung was the centre of the world and he was making everything right and great for us," Lee said, referring to North Korea's founding father, the grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un.

"Realising what I had learned, heard and read were all lies, I decided to defect to the South to live with the truth."

Lee, who launched his first batch of balloons in 2003 and has since dispatched more than 300 million, runs one of several defector-led civic groups that regularly send leaflets across the border carrying messages critical of Kim and human rights abuses in North Korea.

Their campaign now poses a thorny dilemma for Seoul, which is striving to keep up the momentum for inter-Korean reconciliation after a decade of confrontation amid the North's growing nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

Pyongyang has in the past blamed Seoul for failing to stop previous leaflet launches, calling them "an act of war". The two Koreas even traded fire in 2014 after the North's military shot machine guns at balloons launched by defector activists.

Launch Blocked

In the call from the Unification Ministry, the official repeatedly pleaded for an end to balloon launches, promising support if his group switched to other activities aimed at improving human rights in North Korea, according to Lee.

The ministry was not available for comment on the call, but on Friday it issued a statement urging civic groups to halt leaflet launches, which it said would violate the spirit of the agreement made at the summit and heighten military tensions and safety concerns.

Some South Koreans also think the balloon campaign should end.

"Customers stopped visiting our town after North Korea threatened to shoot the balloons," said Kim Hyung-do, who runs a chicken soup restaurant in the border city of Paju.

"The mood between the two Koreas has a big impact on our lives. I hope they won't send flyers and throw cold water on this good mood after the summit."

Despite the pleas, a group of North Korean defectors flocked to Paju on Saturday to fly balloons into the North.

The group prepared 150,000 leaflets, 1,000 $1 bills and 500 booklets authored by another defector on South Korea's dramatic rise from the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War, said its leader Park Sang-haak.

"We are carried away by Kim Jong Un's sudden deceitful peace offensive, but just a while ago he blackmailed us and the whole world with nuclear and missile provocations, while killing his own family members and executives," Park said.

About 150 residents of Paju and members of a small, progressive party staged a protest against the leaflet launch, and one protester ran into Park as he gave a speech, prompting police to intervene.

"I risked my life to cross the border. You can't stop me," a colleague of Park furiously shouted at the man, drawing applause from other defectors.

The launch was eventually called off as police blocked the truck carrying the balloons from entering the site. Local police were not immediately available for comment.

Leaflet War

The two Koreas have waged rival leaflet campaigns for decades.

The South's military used to launch anti-North flyers across the demilitarised zone, but the programme ended in 2010, a defence ministry official said.

Defector groups continued the campaign, sending, along with the flyers, $1 bills, mini radios, instant food such ramen noodles and USB sticks containing South Korean dramas and news.

Pyongyang has also used balloons to send its own propaganda leaflets, which typically feature military threats and satirical images of South Korean and US leaders.

"I remember picking up fliers praising Kim Il Sung from the playground and mountain near my home when I was in elementary school, and we were told to drop them at a police box and get pencils as a reward," said Kim Chang-hwan, a 35-year-old book editor in Seoul.

"It was sort of scary as we were taught that those things were very bad, but when I saw them again during my military service, I would just laugh it off."

Defector and human rights campaigners say the South Korean government cannot obstruct civilian activities that they say are subject to freedom of speech guaranteed by the constitution.

In 2015, a local court dismissed a lawsuit filed by a group of residents to prevent Park's leaflet campaign, citing freedom of expression.

But in a separate 2016 case, the Supreme Court ruled the government could limit the civic group's activities due to residents' safety concerns.

President Moon Jae-in, a former human rights lawyer, took office last May, pledging to re-engage the North. As an opposition lawmaker, Moon co-sponsored a resolution calling for a halt to leaflet launches in 2014.

"The agreement from the summit doesn't have binding authority over what the people do or don't do," said Kim Tae-hoon, a member of Hanbyun, an association of lawyers for human rights and unification. "And it can't undercut the universal value of human rights."

It was a plea by South Korea not to jeopardise the recent thaw, engineered by the leaders of the two Koreas who agreed during last week's summit to cease all hostile acts along the border - including the distribution of leaflets - from May 1

Days after a historic inter-Korean summit Lee Min-bok, a defector who has been flying anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the North for 15 years, received a call from an official at Seoul's Unification Ministry urging him to halt his balloon campaign. It was a plea by South Korea not to jeopardise the recent thaw, engineered by the leaders of the two Koreas who agreed during last week's summit to cease all hostile acts along the border - including the distribution of leaflets - from May 1. On Saturday, police prevented a planned release of balloons by a defector group after a confrontation with anti-leaflet protesters. For Lee, the campaign is personal. He says reading such leaflets as a young man in the North brought an "awakening moment" in 1990 that helped him realise how oppressive and destitute his homeland was at a time when the South was emerging as an economic powerhouse. In 1995, he escaped to South Korea. "I really believed that Kim Il Sung was the centre of the world and he was making everything right and great for us," Lee said, referring to North Korea's founding father, the grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un. "Realising what I had learned, heard and read were all lies, I decided to defect to the South to live with the truth." Lee, who launched his first batch of balloons in 2003 and has since dispatched more than 300 million, runs one of several defector-led civic groups that regularly send leaflets across the border carrying messages critical of Kim and human rights abuses in North Korea. Their campaign now poses a thorny dilemma for Seoul, which is striving to keep up the momentum for inter-Korean reconciliation after a decade of confrontation amid the North's growing nuclear weapons and missile programmes. Pyongyang has in the past blamed Seoul for failing to stop previous leaflet launches, calling them "an act of war". The two Koreas even traded fire in 2014 after the North's military shot machine guns at balloons launched by defector activists. Launch Blocked In the call from the Unification Ministry, the official repeatedly pleaded for an end to balloon launches, promising support if his group switched to other activities aimed at improving human rights in North Korea, according to Lee. The ministry was not available for comment on the call, but on Friday it issued a statement urging civic groups to halt leaflet launches, which it said would violate the spirit of the agreement made at the summit and heighten military tensions and safety concerns. Some South Koreans also think the balloon campaign should end. "Customers stopped visiting our town after North Korea threatened to shoot the balloons," said Kim Hyung-do, who runs a chicken soup restaurant in the border city of Paju. "The mood between the two Koreas has a big impact on our lives. I hope they won't send flyers and throw cold water on this good mood after the summit." Despite the pleas, a group of North Korean defectors flocked to Paju on Saturday to fly balloons into the North. The group prepared 150,000 leaflets, 1,000 $1 bills and 500 booklets authored by another defector on South Korea's dramatic rise from the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War, said its leader Park Sang-haak. "We are carried away by Kim Jong Un's sudden deceitful peace offensive, but just a while ago he blackmailed us and the whole world with nuclear and missile provocations, while killing his own family members and executives," Park said. About 150 residents of Paju and members of a small, progressive party staged a protest against the leaflet launch, and one protester ran into Park as he gave a speech, prompting police to intervene. "I risked my life to cross the border. You can't stop me," a colleague of Park furiously shouted at the man, drawing applause from other defectors. The launch was eventually called off as police blocked the truck carrying the balloons from entering the site. Local police were not immediately available for comment. Leaflet War The two Koreas have waged rival leaflet campaigns for decades. The South's military used to launch anti-North flyers across the demilitarised zone, but the programme ended in 2010, a defence ministry official said. Defector groups continued the campaign, sending, along with the flyers, $1 bills, mini radios, instant food such ramen noodles and USB sticks containing South Korean dramas and news. Pyongyang has also used balloons to send its own propaganda leaflets, which typically feature military threats and satirical images of South Korean and US leaders. "I remember picking up fliers praising Kim Il Sung from the playground and mountain near my home when I was in elementary school, and we were told to drop them at a police box and get pencils as a reward," said Kim Chang-hwan, a 35-year-old book editor in Seoul. "It was sort of scary as we were taught that those things were very bad, but when I saw them again during my military service, I would just laugh it off." Defector and human rights campaigners say the South Korean government cannot obstruct civilian activities that they say are subject to freedom of speech guaranteed by the constitution. In 2015, a local court dismissed a lawsuit filed by a group of residents to prevent Park's leaflet campaign, citing freedom of expression. But in a separate 2016 case, the Supreme Court ruled the government could limit the civic group's activities due to residents' safety concerns. President Moon Jae-in, a former human rights lawyer, took office last May, pledging to re-engage the North. As an opposition lawmaker, Moon co-sponsored a resolution calling for a halt to leaflet launches in 2014. "The agreement from the summit doesn't have binding authority over what the people do or don't do," said Kim Tae-hoon, a member of Hanbyun, an association of lawyers for human rights and unification. "And it can't undercut the universal value of human rights."

South Korea faces dilemma over anti-North leaflets as ties thaw

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