North Korea threatens South Korea over leaflets

North Korea's military on Tuesday threatened to reduce South Korea to ashes unless Seoul stops civic groups from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the communist state.
"We clarify our stand that should the South Korean puppet authorities continue scattering leaflets and conducting a smear campaign with sheer fabrications, our army will take a resolute practical action as we have already warned," a spokesman for the North's military was quoted as saying by its KCNA news agency.
At a rare round of military talks on Monday, North Korea complained about the leaflets being sent by balloons while South Korean activists sent a new batch of 100,000 into the neighbouring state despite warnings from Seoul.
"The puppet authorities had better bear in mind that the advanced pre-emptive strike of our own style will reduce everything opposed to the nation and reunification to debris, not just setting them on fire," the spokesman said.
South Korean groups have been sending the leaflets, which travel by balloon into the North, for years. Analysts said the recent wave appears to have touched a nerve because they mention a taboo subject in the North — the health of leader Kim Jong-il, who was thought to have suffered a stroke in August.

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