South Korea’s military has shut down loudspeakers blasting propaganda into North Korea. This move aims to rebuild trust between the two countries.
For years, these speakers sent news and info about democracy into North Korea. But the North saw this as an act of war and threatened to blow them up. The speakers were silent for six years but restarted last June. This was in response to North Korea sending balloons with propaganda into South Korea.
Recently, South Korea elected a new president, Yoon Suk-yeol. He campaigned on improving ties with North Korea. The new government wants to start talks and ease tensions. The military says shutting down the speakers is a step towards peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Some groups, however, criticize this move. They say the speakers were a vital link to North Koreans, reminding them they weren’t forgotten. Shutting them down might help North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, isolate his people even more.
People living near the border are relieved. They’ve complained about the noise from both sides, especially at night. One resident hopes this decision will end the “war of nerves” and let North Koreans live normally again.
The decision also considers that North Korea has stopped sending propaganda balloons. But if needed, South Korea might restart the speakers. They claim their messages can be heard up to 10 kilometers into North Korea during the day and 24 kilometers at night.
This shutdown happens almost a year after the speakers restarted. The two countries had been exchanging propaganda and trash. Reunification has been a key concept for North Korea since its founding, but Kim Jong-un abandoned this idea last year. Technically, the two countries are still at war since the Korean War ended in 1953 without a peace treaty.