Helium balloons to be floated to North Korea will carry propaganda leaflets with news of the popular uprisings sweeping the Middle East, a lawmaker said Thursday. The military will also attach clothes and medicine to the balloons, a practice discontinued in April 2000.

The Defense Ministry submitted a report to Future Hope Alliance lawmaker Song Young-sun on Thursday saying the military has sent about 3 million propaganda leaflets since North Korea's shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in October last year, including 400,000 immediately following the attack and 2.4 million since early February.

"The military plans to update its propaganda leaflets by adding news of popular uprisings in Egypt and Libya and also criticizing the hereditary succession under the long-term dictatorshi p, and distribute them on a large scale," said Song quoting military sources.

Starting this month, it sent over 10,000 items including 14 daily necessities such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, and tissues, as well as underwear, hats and gloves, and medicine such as cold pills, ointment and antiseptic, plus microwaveable instant rice and radios.