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South Korea has started dismantling loudspeakers along the border with North Korea that previously broadcast anti-Pyongyang messaging. This move was initiated by the new Lee Jae Myung administration in Seoul as part of a series of conciliatory gestures aimed at de-escalating tensions on the peninsula.
As of Monday, North Korea had not responded by removing its own front-line loudspeakers. Newsweek reached out to the North Korean Foreign Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
South Korea’s move comes 14 months after speakers along the border were reactivated to broadcast K-pop music and anti-North Korean rhetoric in response to Pyongyang’s provocative trash balloon campaigns, which carried waste across the border, causing chaos in the south.
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The dismantling of these loudspeakers signifies a shift from the hardline stance taken by the previous Yoon Suk Yeol government. The new Lee administration is pivoting away from this approach and moving toward more reconciliation efforts.
A South Korean soldier stands watch at the border with North Korea, divided by the Imjin River in Paju, north of Seoul, on June 5, 2025 (Pedro Pardo/Getty Images).
What To Know
On Monday, South Korea’s military began dismantling fixed loudspeakers along the border with North Korea. The decision came just a week after Lee took office and six months after Yoon’s ill-fated imposition of martial law.
The defense ministry announced that 24 fixed loudspeakers near the military demarcation line (MDL) would be removed, and 16 mobile units had already been out of operation since late last year. The move is aimed at reducing tensions between the two countries without affecting military readiness.
There was no consultation with North Korea, which as of Monday had not removed its own front-line loudspeakers. South Korea’s presidential office stated that Lee made this decision given the absence of recent major provocations by North Korea and to de-escalate military confrontation and rebuild mutual trust.
However, experts warn that dismantling the loudspeakers may hamper the South’s ability to respond credibly to future provocations, including floating trash balloons over the border.
What People Are Saying
South Korea’s defense ministry said, “We are removing loudspeakers today. This is a practical measure to help reduce tensions between the North and the South, taken within a scope that does not affect our military readiness.”
Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and senior party official, stated, “No matter how desperately the Lee Jae Myung government may…pretend they do all sorts of righteous things to attract our attention and receive international attention, there can be no change in our state’s understanding of the enemy.”
What Happens Next
South Korean media reported that dismantling the speakers could help revive the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, which called for a halt to hostile acts within a 5-kilometer zone around the MDL. This was one of Lee’s campaign pledges.
However, critics argue that Seoul’s action could play into Pyongyang’s hands as the loudspeakers were one of the few ways to pressure North Korea.
📚 Reading Comprehension Quiz
What significant change in policy did South Korea implement regarding its border speakers with North Korea?
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