North Korea issued its most strident warning in months on Friday when it threatened to open fire on South Korean territory if anti-Pyongyang leaflets were sent over from South Korean territory.
It said that if leaflets were dropped on Monday a “merciless military strike by the Western Front will be put into practice without warning”, according to state news agency KCNA.
It said it would target a tourist area in the border city of Paju a few miles from the demilitarised zone that separates the two countries if the launch went ahead.
A coalition of non-government groups said it would go ahead with plans to drop anti-North Korea leaflets on Monday at 11.30am as part of their campaign against Pyongyang.
North Korea shelled a South Korean island almost two years ago, causing civilian deaths. In 2010, the North was widely blamed for sinking a South Korean navy ship, although it denied responsibility.
KCNA frequently carries anti-South Korean rhetoric, although a specific threat to an exact area has been rare in recent months.