Sources say North Korea is none too pleased with this year’s plans by South Korean Christian groups to use Christmas lights  to illuminate a 100-foot steel tower roughly three kilometres from the North Korean border, south of the Demilitarized Zone or DMZ. North Korea is an atheist state, and in 2010 officials there warned they would take action against any activity they deemed designed to spread propaganda north of the DMZ. No such action was taken last year, and the tower (in the shape of a Christmas tree) remained lit for three weeks.

Agence France-Presse reported Saturday that the North has warned of “unexpected consequences” if Seoul displays Christmas lights near the border. The news agency reported that in 2004 the two Koreas agreed to halt use of official propaganda across the border.

Merry Christmas!