Seoul: North Korea's decision to halt its loudspeaker noise broadcasts along the inter-Korean border is being viewed as a significant step toward restoring trust between the two Koreas, according to South Korea's unification ministry. The suspension comes a day after Seoul stopped its own loudspeaker broadcasts of propaganda messages and music.

According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's military reported that North Korea had paused its transmissions of disruptive noises along the border as of Thursday morning. This development followed the decision by President Lee Jae-myung to suspend South Korea's loudspeaker broadcasts targeting North Korea, fulfilling his campaign promises to reduce military tensions and cease loudspeaker and leaflet campaigns against the North.

A ministry official, who spoke anonymously, stated that the North's suspension has helped alleviate the distress experienced by residents in South Korea's border areas. It is considered a meaningful opportunity to lessen military tensions and rebuild mutual trust between the two nations.

Reports from military and provincial officials indicate that the North's broadcasts of loud noises were last detected in the western border area late Wednesday night. Since then, the previous shrieking and screeching sounds have been replaced by peaceful music in certain sections of the border.

The South Korean military had revived its loudspeaker campaign in June of the previous year under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration in reaction to the North's ongoing launches of balloons filled with trash into South Korea. This marked the first use of such psychological warfare tactics in six years.