South Korea removes loudspeakers at border after 54 days

The South Korean military began dismantling all loudspeakers along the front line on Sunday. These devices had been used for propaganda broadcasts toward North Korea. The decision came 54 days after President Lee Jae-myung ordered a halt to the broadcasts on June 11, just one week after taking office. The move reflects the administration’s swift effort to reduce tensions and revive the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement.

A Defense Ministry official said, “We started dismantling the loudspeakers today.” The official described it as “a meaningful step to ease tensions between the two Koreas without compromising our military readiness.”

The ministry added that both fixed and mobile loudspeakers are being removed, with the work expected to finish within the week. A military source said the plan had been shared in advance with the United Nations Command.

The military clarified that there had been no prior consultation with North Korea. Officials are watching closely to see whether Pyongyang will follow suit by removing its own speakers. After South Korea halted its broadcasts on June 11, the North stopped its noisy loudspeaker transmissions at midnight the next day.

This was the first time in 14 months that the South had removed its loudspeakers. In June last year, the administration of former President Yoon Suk-yeol resumed the broadcasts, which had been suspended under President Moon Jae-in, following a series of balloon attacks by North Korea using waste materials.

The military installed about 40 loudspeakers along the eastern and western fronts, airing daily broadcasts branded as “Voice of Freedom.” The programs featured messages on South Korea’s development, criticism of the Kim family’s hereditary rule, coverage of human rights issues in the North, and K-pop music.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young commented on the removal after meeting with Venerable Jinwoo, the head of the Jogye Order, at Jogyesa Temple in Seoul.

“This is one of the steps aimed at rebuilding trust between the two Koreas,” Chung told reporters. “The president gave the order, and the broadcasts were stopped. In that context, I believe dismantling the speakers was the right decision.”

He added, “The most critical issue now is trust. At this point, that trust has been deeply eroded.”

Critics argue that the Lee administration is taking an overly conciliatory approach toward North Korea, even though the North has shown little willingness to respond.

Members of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee from the conservative People Power Party issued a statement asking, “How far will the government go to appease North Korea?” They warned that unilateral disarmament could be a form of self-inflicted harm that puts national security at risk.


Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com