Within the Demilitarized Zone, Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, retorted South Korea’s assertion that North Korea had taken down some of its propaganda-spewing loudspeakers. Through a statement released by state media KCNA, she announced that the loudspeakers had “never been removed” and North Korea has no intention of removing them in the future. She reaffirmed their lack of interest in improving relations with South Korea and stated that this stance would soon be inscribed in their constitution.
Earlier this week, South Korea’s military had claimed that North Korea had dismantled some of its loudspeakers, days after South Korea had done the same. Kim, who serves as the deputy director of North Korea’s propaganda department, dismissed this claim as an “unfounded” and “unilateral” assumption.
Apart from broadcasting propaganda messages, South Korea also transmitted K-pop songs across the border, while North Korea countered with distressing sounds like animal howls, causing disruptions for those living nearby. Pyongyang views South Korea’s propaganda broadcasts as acts of war and has previously threatened to destroy the speakers.
South Korea resumed their speaker broadcasts in June 2024, after halting them for six years during impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s presidency, who had pursued a more aggressive approach towards North Korea. The broadcasts resumed in response to North Korea launching garbage-filled balloons southwards amid heightened tensions.
New President Lee Jae Myung campaigned on improving inter-Korean relations; nonetheless, South Korea stopped their broadcasts along the Demilitarized Zone shortly after Lee’s inauguration in June, in a bid to “build trust” and “enhance stability on the Korean Peninsula”. Despite these efforts, tensions remain strained between the two. Just this week, North Korea issued a warning of “resolute counteraction” before the approaching joint military exercises between South Korea and the US.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn927xyv7l7o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
