Seoul: The South Korean military on Monday commenced the removal of loudspeakers used for propaganda broadcasts directed at North Korea along the heavily fortified border, the defense ministry announced. This action is part of Seoul’s ongoing efforts to alleviate tensions with the North.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this development follows less than two months after President Lee Jae Myung’s order to suspend loudspeaker broadcasts in front-line areas as a move to repair strained ties with North Korea. In response, Pyongyang has ceased its own loudspeaker campaigns against the South.
The defense ministry emphasized that this measure aims to ease inter-Korean tensions without compromising the military’s readiness. The dismantling process targets fixed speakers along the border and is scheduled for completion within the week, stated Col. Lee Kyung-ho, a ministry spokesperson, during a press briefing. Approximately 20 fixed speakers exist in the area, and no consultations with the North were conducted before this decision.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported no indications of North Korea taking similar actions. “North Korea appears to be maintaining its loudspeakers without dismantling them. No unusual military activity from the North has been detected,” noted JCS spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun.
Historically, North Korea has been opposed to the South’s loudspeaker broadcasts and activist-sent leaflets, fearing the impact of outside information on its regime. Under the former conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration, South Korea resumed loudspeaker broadcasts in June last year in retaliation against Pyongyang’s balloon launches. This campaign was previously conducted sporadically after North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in 2016.
Since assuming office in June, President Lee has implemented measures to revive inter-Korean relations, which have been practically severed since North Korea declared the two Koreas as separate “hostile” nations in late 2023, dismantling symbols of inter-Korean relations and unity. Beyond halting military broadcasts, Lee has urged civic groups to stop distributing anti-Pyongyang leaflets, hoping these gestures will foster engagement with the North.
Despite these efforts, North Korea has not responded to South Korea’s dismantling of the anti-Pyongyang speakers. Last week, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, dismissed South Korea’s reconciliatory efforts in a statement. She asserted that Pyongyang is uninterested in any proposals from Seoul and refuses to participate in inter-Korean discussions.