In an unprecedented move, South Korea launched loudspeaker broadcasts on its border with North Korea on Friday, transmitting anti-communist content, news banned by the regime, and popular South Korean music 24 hours a day.
The North Korean dictatorship views these broadcasts as irritant propaganda, as it severely controls what media its citizens can legally access, making it difficult for North Koreans to remain informed about the outside world. Prior to this, South Korea stopped using its loudspeakers along the border, known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), in June amid ongoing North Korean efforts to dump trash-ridden balloons into the South.
Recently, North Korea has launched over 2,000 of these “trash balloons,” carrying mostly paper and no hazardous materials, since May. Despite harsh warnings, including a threat of increased retaliation, the North continued their campaigns. The South Korean military has acknowledged these threats, stating that the recent drop, which included some balloons crossing the border, posed little to no risk to the public health or daily life.
The resumed loudspeaker broadcasts began on Friday, starting at 4:00 pm and lasting until 4:00 am local time. The South Korean Ministry of National Defense has made public their intention to continue daily transmissions.
According to South Korea, its armed forces began regular broadcasting following a June Supreme Court ruling stating it was unconstitutional for the government to prohibit activists from spreading pro-democracy materials over the North-South border, contrary to prior agreements.
The regime of dictator Kim Jong-un has flown more than 2,000 trash balloons into South Korea since May, 200 of them overnight between Thursday and Friday. Only about 40 of them managed to cross the border, a result of the weather when they were deployed, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported on Friday.
Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, reiterated a warning to South Korean “scum” on Tuesday: “If [the South] persistently engages in crude, despicable, and shameful acts… [the North] will inevitably undergo changes in its counteraction mechanism.” Her remarks preceded the latest incident on Friday.
The broadcasts restarted before dawn on Friday, amidst uncertainty regarding the content, after several South Korean outlets reported the beginning but lacked specifics. The North Koreans may continue to view these sounds and announcements as a form of psychological war between the nations.
South Korean media also reported that the country broadcast songs by the superstar South Korean boy band BTS, which is currently on hiatus as most of its members are fulfilling South Korea’s mandatory military service for men.
“Should North Korea ignore our warning and repeat such an action, our military will make sure to take all necessary measures for the North to rightly pay,” the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff warned.
