A portion of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea is pictured on May 24, 2017. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
South Korea has stopped using its propaganda loudspeakers along the northern border in an effort to reduce tensions between the two countries, the military said Wednesday.
The decision is part of a broader push to rebuild trust and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula, the South’s Ministry of National Defense said in a text message to reporters.
The loudspeakers, which broadcast anti-regime messages and news from the South across the heavily fortified border, have long been a source of irritation for Pyongyang.
South Korean army Col. Lee Sung-jun said during a news conference Monday that the military would conduct a “comprehensive review” of the loudspeaker operations. Lee also noted that North Korea continues to use its own loudspeakers near the border “day and night.”
The move follows the June 3 inauguration of President Lee Jae-myung, who has signaled a more conciliatory approach toward North Korea. During his campaign, Lee said he would consider various measures to improve inter-Korean relations, including silencing the speakers.
The broadcasts have been intermittently suspended and resumed over the years, often depending on the state of relations between the two Koreas, which technically remain at war following the 1950-53 Korean War armistice.
South Korea resumed loudspeaker broadcasts in June 2024 after a six-year pause, in response to the North launching thousands of trash-filled balloons into the South. The balloons disrupted emergency service and caused public concern, according to the South Korean military.
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Lee’s predecessor and a member of the conservative People Power Party, took a hardline approach toward North Korea during his administration. Yoon suspended a comprehensive military deconfliction agreement with the North in June, citing the balloon launches and ongoing missile tests. He was impeached on Dec. 14 after declaring martial law earlier that month.
The Ministry of Unification on Monday criticized local activist groups that sent balloons carrying propaganda leaflets into the North in recent weeks. Democratic Party lawmakers such as Lee have blamed the tactic for escalating tensions.
“We strongly request to stop flying leaflet balloons that can create tension on the Korean Peninsula and threaten the lives and safety of people living near the border,” ministry spokesman Koo Byongsam said during a news conference in Seoul on Monday.
