August 10, 2025 | 05:35 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - North Korea started dismantling some loudspeakers installed at the border for a propaganda campaign against South Korea on Saturday, August 9. As reported by Yonhap News, this move occurred just a few days after Seoul completed the dismantling of anti-North loudspeakers on the southern side to ease tensions between the two Koreas.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated that the activity was detected at several front-line points since Saturday morning. "Activities by the North Korean military removing loudspeakers against South Korea have been detected in parts of the front-line area since Saturday morning," the JCS said in a statement.
Seoul's military is still verifying whether the dismantling was carried out at all border points and pledged to continue monitoring the movements of North Korean forces.
South Korea's Measures to Stop Sound Warfare
South Korea completed the dismantling of the loudspeakers last Tuesday. Previously, since June 11, Seoul had halted the propaganda broadcasts criticizing Pyongyang. This policy aligns with President Lee Jae Myung's efforts to improve the deteriorating relationship in recent years.
Lee also urged civilian groups to stop sending anti-North leaflets, hoping that the gesture would pave the way for dialogue. The loudspeaker campaign has long been a source of contention. North Korea strongly opposes propaganda broadcasts and leaflets from the South, which are considered a threat to its regime's stability.
New Policy and Military Exercise Postponement
According to The Korea Times, under the conservative government of Yoon Suk Yeol, Seoul resumed the use of loudspeakers for the first time in six years in June 2024. The policy was triggered by North Korea's launch of thousands of balloons containing trash across the border. Previously, such broadcasts had been carried out periodically since North Korea's fourth nuclear test in 2016.
Relations between the two Koreas have become increasingly tense since late 2023, when Pyongyang declared both countries as "enemy states" and began dismantling symbols of unity. Since taking office in June, Lee has taken steps to ease tensions, including postponing about half of the 40 joint South Korea-U.S. field exercises scheduled as part of the Ulchi Freedom Shield series from August to September.
The decision to postpone was made after North Korea condemned the exercises and accused Seoul of following its alliance with the U.S. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young stated that he would propose adjustments to the joint exercises to President Lee.
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