North Korea Staunchly Refutes Claims of Dismantling Propaganda Loudspeakers

In a recent statement, North Korean leaders have firmly rejected allegations from South Korea about the removal of loudspeakers designed to broadcast propaganda along the border, reiterating their unwillingness to enhance relations with their southern neighbor.

North Korea has emphatically denied allegations that it has dismantled any of its propaganda loudspeakers stationed along the border with South Korea. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, stated that the regime has "never removed" these speakers and has "no intention of removing them" in a declaration released by the state media outlet KCNA on Thursday. This assertion comes in response to earlier claims by South Korea's military, which suggested that some loudspeakers had been taken down just days after Seoul had initiated the dismantling of its own devices.

Kim Yo Jong criticized the South's claims as an "unfounded unilateral supposition and a red herring." During these broadcasts, South Korea has been known to include K-pop music alongside other content, while the North has employed unsettling sounds, including howling animals, to disrupt the local population. Concerns have been raised by South Korean residents situated near the border due to the disruptive noise caused by these broadcasts, which often occur during the night.

North Korea considers these South Korean broadcasts as acts of aggression and has previously threatened to destroy the loudspeakers. The broadcasting activities resumed in June 2024 following a six-year hiatus under the administration of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, which adopted a more assertive approach towards the North. This resurgence came after North Korea responded to growing tensions by dispatching balloons filled with refuse into South Korean territory.

Under the newly inaugurated President Lee Jae Myung, who prioritized the restoration of inter-Korean relations, South Korea promptly ceased its broadcasts along the demilitarized zone. This move was intended to "restore trust" and "achieve peace" on the Korean Peninsula. Despite these efforts, friction remains evident as North Korea has issued warnings of "resolute counteraction" in anticipation of upcoming joint military exercises scheduled between South Korea and the United States.