SEOUL: South Korean authorities started removing loudspeakers that broadcast anti-North Korean messages along the border on Monday, the defence ministry confirmed. The move follows President Lee Jae Myung’s decision in June to suspend propaganda broadcasts as part of efforts to restart stalled talks with Pyongyang.
The defence ministry described the dismantling as a “practical measure to help ease tensions between the South and the North.” Soldiers were seen unplugging and taking down the loudspeakers, which were mounted in clusters resembling a wall.
North Korea recently rejected Seoul’s diplomatic overtures, stating it has no interest in dialogue. However, since South Korea halted its broadcasts in June, Pyongyang has also stopped its own loudspeaker campaigns, which had disturbed border residents for months.
Propaganda broadcasts have long been a tool in inter-Korean relations, with both sides using them during periods of tension. In 2018, former President Moon Jae-in removed the loudspeakers as part of a broader de-escalation agreement. However, his conservative successor, Yoon Suk Yeol, reinstated them last year in response to North Korea sending trash-filled balloons across the border.
Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed Seoul’s suspension of broadcasts as “not the work worthy of appreciation.”
Despite this, the removal signals Seoul’s continued push for reduced hostilities, even as diplomatic progress remains uncertain. - Reuters
