South Korea: South Korean civic groups on Tuesday launched anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea, a day after the destitute state sealed its border, partly blaming past barrages of leaflets sent from the South.

North Korea, furious at the tough policies of the South's president, on Monday restricted exchanges with its wealthy neighbour, cutting tourism and limiting the access of South Korean workers to a joint factory park just north of the border.

But South Korea's top officials have stuck to their argument it was up to the prickly North to change its ways if increasingly icy relations had any chance of warming, while the groups launching the leaflets also show no signs of backing off.

"We will keep doing this no matter what. We will do this even more frequently. There will be no compromise or stop to this," said Choi Sung-yong, one of the leaders of an anti-North group.

His and other civic organisations have been sending hundreds of thousands of leaflets, many with U.S. dollars or Chinese yuan, across the heavily mined border by attaching them to balloons.

The latest flare-up between the rival Koreas comes days before the North is due to discuss a disarmament pact with five regional powers.

The agreement gives Pyongyang economic and energy aid in return for taking apart its nuclear programme and allowing inspections.

Last week the North said the scattering of the leaflets was one factor leading to the border clampdown. South Korean government officials have asked the groups to stop but said they cannot halt them because of free speech laws.

Source : Reuters