AlHijjah 13, 1433, Oct 29, 2012, SPA -- South Korean residents near the demilitarized zone that divides the Korean Peninsula objected to the Monday launch of anti-Pyongyang leaflets, UPI reported. A group of anti-Pyongyang demonstrators launched balloons across the border that carried slogans against the North Korean government. Yonhap reports the group scuffled briefly with area residents concerned about their security. "The act of flying leaflets to the North causes huge damage to the people living here, as it heightens tension and brings down the number of visitors," an unidentified resident told Yonhap. Demonstrators last week were blocked from deploying propaganda leaflets across the border. The North Korean government had warned it would conduct a "merciless military strike" against anti-government activists near the border. Both sides agreed to halt psychological operations near the border in 2000. Tensions, however, remain high in the region. An April attempt by North Korea to orbit a satellite sparked concern the country was preparing to test a nuclear device. U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, visiting the region last week, said he hasn't seen any intelligence "that indicates that (a nuclear test is) imminent."
