US envoy condemns North Korean threats as 'grossly disproportionate'

(22 Oct 2012) SHOTLIST 1. Glyn Davies, US Special Envoy for North Korean policy approaching media 2. Cutaway of reporters 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Glyn Davies, US Special Envoy for North Korea: "It is important to underscore the dangerous situation created by the DPRK with its threats to shell civilian areas in response. It is grossly disproportionate to have threatened to respond to balloons with bombs. We call on the DPRK to desist from this sort of destabilising threatening behaviour in the future." 4. Cutaway of media 5. Davies walking away STORYLINE US Special Envoy for North Korean policy Glyn Davies condemned North's threat to attack a South Korean border area where anti-Pyongyang activists planned to launch leaflets from balloons, saying the decision was a "grossly disproportionate" response Davies who arrived to Beijing on Monday to discuss security issues with his Chinese counterpart, said North Korea has created a "dangerous situation ... with its threats to shell civilian areas." "We call on the DPRK to desist from this sort of destabilising threatening behaviour in the future," Davies said. Despite North's threats of strike, South Korean activists ballooned tens of thousands of anti-Pyongyang leaflets on Monday into North Korea, hours after police blocked their initial launching attempt. Some of the activists, mostly North Korean defectors, moved to another border area and floated balloons carrying 120-thousand leaflets critical of North Korea's new leader Kim Jong Un and his country's alleged human rights abuses. They had publicised the location for the first launch. South Korea's Defence Ministry said it is closely monitoring North Korea's military movements but that it hasn't showed any suspicious activities. South Korean activists have in the past sent leaflets across the border, and North Korea has issued similar threats to attack without following through. But Seoul's Yonhap news agency reported on Monday that the ban on entering the border area was imposed as South Korea detected that North Korea had uncovered artillery muzzle covers and deployed troops to artillery positions in possible preparation for an attack. Yonhap cited no source for the information. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...