North Korea Begins Removing Loudspeakers Along Border After South Korea Halts Propaganda Broadcasts
North Korea has started removing some of its loudspeakers along the border with South Korea, marking a temporary end to the "loudspeaker war" between the two nations after South Korea halted its own propaganda broadcasts.
Kokcha News Agency: North Korea has begun dismantling some of its loudspeakers along the border with South Korea, following South Korea’s decision to remove its own propaganda loudspeakers. This move comes after months of tension, during which both countries used loudspeakers to broadcast propaganda and other messages across the border.
The South Korean military reported that North Korea has started removing some of its loudspeakers, though it did not specify the exact locations or confirm whether all loudspeakers would be dismantled.
The “Loudspeaker War”:
In recent months, residents of South Korean border villages had complained about disturbing broadcasts from North Korean loudspeakers, which included animal howls and gong sounds. These broadcasts were in retaliation to South Korea’s own propaganda messages and K-pop songs played through its border loudspeakers.
South Korea Takes the First Step:
North Korea had initially halted its broadcasts in June, following South Korea’s decision to suspend its propaganda loudspeakers as part of new President Lee Jae Myung’s efforts to reduce tensions. South Korea began removing its loudspeakers on Monday, though it has not clarified how they will be stored or whether they will be redeployed in case of a crisis.
North Korea, which is highly sensitive to external criticism of its leader Kim Jong Un and his family, has yet to make an official statement regarding the removal of its loudspeakers.
Past Tensions:
South Korea’s previous conservative government had resumed loudspeaker broadcasts in June 2024 in response to North Korea sending trash-filled balloons across the border. These broadcasts included propaganda messages and K-pop songs, reigniting psychological warfare between the two Koreas.
This psychological warfare, combined with North Korea’s advancements in its nuclear program and South Korea’s efforts to strengthen military cooperation with the U.S., had significantly heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
