North Korea dismantles propaganda speakers at border

South Korea’s military says North Korea has begun removing some of the loudspeakers used to broadcast propaganda across the border between the two countries.

North Korea’s move appears to be a positive reaction to the overtures from newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who had campaigned on improving inter-Korean ties.

South Korea dismantled some of its own loudspeakers earlier this week. It had halted broadcasts along the demilitarised zone shortly after Lee took office in June – prompting a similar response from its neighbour.

South Korean broadcasts had often featured K-pop songs and news reports while the North played unsettling noises, such as howling animals.

In a statement on Saturday, South Korea’s military said it had “detected North Korean troops dismantling propaganda loudspeakers in some parts along the front line from this morning”.

It added: “It remains to be confirmed whether the devices have been removed across all regions, and the military will continue to monitor related activities.”

The speaker broadcasts had been suspended on previous occasions. But after a six-year pause, they resumed in June 2024 in response to Pyongyang’s campaign of sending rubbish-filled balloons to the South.

Residents living along the border had complained that their lives have been blighted by noise coming from both sides, sometimes in the middle of the night.

Seoul claimed the broadcasts could be heard as much as 10km (six miles) across the border in the day and up to 24km (15 miles) at night.

But speaking after South Korea suspended its broadcasts in June, organisations advocating to improve the human rights of North Koreans criticised the move.

Ties between North and South Korea had deteriorated under President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was more hawkish towards Pyongyang.

Yoon was impeached and removed from his post for briefly placing South Korea under martial law in December, citing supposed threats from anti-state forces and North Korea sympathisers.

Reuniting with the South had always been a key, if increasingly unrealistic, part of the North’s ideology since the inception of the state – until its current leader, Kim Jong Un, abandoned the idea in 2024.

Both countries are technically still at war since the Korean War ended in 1953 without a peace treaty.