Pro-democracy leaflets released in North Korea

South Korea's military has been dropping leaflets into North Korea about democracy protests in Egypt and also sent food, medicines and radios for residents as part of a psychological campaign, a legislator said yesterday.

The campaign was aimed at encouraging North Koreans to think about change, parliament member Song Young-sun said. The food and medicines were delivered in lightweight baskets tied to balloons with timers programmed to release the items above target areas.

The food items carried a message that they were sent by the South Korean military and were safe for human consumption, but could be fed to livestock to test safety, Mr Song said. The leaflets also carried news of the revolt in Libya against the country's leader, Mr Song's office said.