SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korea’s military reported that North Korea has begun removing some of its loudspeakers from the inter-Korean border. This development comes just days after South Korea dismantled its own front-line speakers that were used for anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts, part of a broader effort to ease tensions between the two countries. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not specify the locations of the North Korean loudspeakers being taken down and indicated that it was unclear whether all of them would be removed.
In recent months, residents living near the border in South Korea have voiced complaints about the incessant noise from North Korean speakers, which broadcast unsettling sounds such as howling animals and loud gongs. This retaliation followed South Korea’s own propaganda broadcasts. Notably, the North had stopped its broadcasts in June after the newly elected liberal South Korean President Lee Jae Myung halted the South's broadcasts. This marked a significant step toward reducing tensions following years of escalating animosity between the North and South.
While the South Korean military initiated the removal of its loudspeakers on August 4, 2025, they did not clarify how these speakers would be stored or whether they could be rapidly redeployed if tensions were to rise again. North Korea, highly sensitive to any external criticism of its government and its leader, Kim Jong Un, has not confirmed the move to dismantle its loudspeakers. Under previous conservative leadership, South Korea resumed daily loudspeaker broadcasts in June 2024 as a response to North Korea sending trash-laden balloons into its territory.
The loudspeakers traditionally relay propaganda messages and popular K-pop music, designed to undermine the regime in Pyongyang. Kim Jong Un has been on a campaign to eliminate the influence of South Korean culture and language in a bid to strengthen his family’s rule. The use of psychological warfare through these broadcasts has further strained relations, particularly given North Korea's ongoing nuclear program and South Korea's increasing military collaboration with the United States and Japan.
President Lee, taking office in June 2025 after winning an election, has expressed a desire to improve relations with North Korea. This comes after the North's hostile reactions to the hardline policies of his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted. However, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of Kim Jong Un, dismissed the South's overtures late July 2025, arguing that South Korea’s reliance on its alliance with the United States makes them no different from past conservative administrations.
In a separate statement, Kim Yo Jong also criticized the Trump administration's intentions to revive diplomatic talks regarding North Korea's denuclearization, indicating that Pyongyang is currently focused on bolstering ties with Russia and shows little inclination to resume dialogue with South Korea or Washington.
Looking ahead, tensions in the region may escalate once more later this month. South Korea and the United States are set to begin their annual large-scale combined military exercises on August 18, 2025. North Korea frequently labels these joint drills as rehearsals for invasion and often uses them as a pretext for conducting military demonstrations and further developing its nuclear weapons program.
