South Korean army suspends loudspeaker broadcasts on the border with the DPRK
On Wednesday, June 11, the South Korean army suspended broadcasting propaganda through loudspeakers along the border with the DPRK amid the new president's administration's intentions to restore ties with Pyongyang. This was reported by the agency Yonhap.
The military resumed such propaganda broadcasts in June 2024 in response to North Korea's repeated launches of garbage balloons across the border. The broadcasts were suspended a year later.
"This decision was made as part of efforts to fulfill the promise of restoring inter-Korean trust and peace on the Korean Peninsula," said a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
The official added that the campaign was suspended in accordance with an "order from above".
The move comes just a week after the inauguration of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who pledged to suspend leaflet and loudspeaker campaigns in an effort to improve relations between Seoul and Pyongyang.
Earlier this week, the JCS said that the suspension of broadcasts along the border would depend on North Korea's actions, while noting that broadcasts are "flexible, in accordance with the strategic and operational situation".
- On May 26, Lee called China an important trading partner that has a "key influence" on the security of the Korean Peninsula.
- On June 10, he asked China's leader to "play a constructive role" in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
