Despite South Korea's recent announcements, North Korea remains resolute in maintaining its propaganda loudspeakers as tensions persist between the two nations.
North Korea Stands Firm on Propaganda Loudspeakers Amid Tension
North Korea Stands Firm on Propaganda Loudspeakers Amid Tension
North Korea denies claims of removing propaganda speakers at the border, asserting a commitment to its stance on relations with South Korea.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, released a statement denying South Korea's assertion that Pyongyang had removed some of its propaganda loudspeakers stationed along the border. She emphasized that the North has "never removed" these speakers and has no intention of doing so, reinforcing the regime's long-standing position against improving ties with South Korea. This declaration was communicated through state media KCNA.
Earlier this week, South Korea's military claimed that North Korea had dismantled a number of its loudspeakers shortly after Seoul took a similar action with its broadcasts. Kim Yo Jong derided the South's claims as "unfounded unilateral supposition" and a "red herring", emphasizing the North's unwavering stance which she suggested would be enshrined in their constitution in the future.
The context for these developments is a history of aggressive propaganda exchanges between the two Koreas; South Korea often broadcasts K-pop hits while North Korea responds with disturbing sounds, like howling animals, contributing to strife along the border. Residents near the border have voiced their concerns over the disruptive noise from both sides.
North Korea has traditionally viewed South Korea’s propaganda broadcasts as acts of war, previously threatening to destroy the loudspeakers amid escalating tensions. Broadcasts from the South restarted in June 2024 following a six-year hiatus due to a change in leadership, with the incumbent president Yoon Suk Yeol advocating a hardline approach against the North. A shift in leadership, with new President Lee Jae Myung promising to improve inter-Korean relationships, has led South Korea to suspend its broadcasts in an effort to "restore trust” and pursue peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Despite these efforts, relations between both nations remain strained, with North Korea recently warning of "resolute counteraction" regarding what it perceives as provocations, particularly concerning upcoming joint military drills between South Korea and the United States.
