South Korea's military has begun dismantling a series of loudspeakers used for anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts along the heavily fortified border, in what Seoul calls a "practical measure" to reduce tensions with Pyongyang.
The removal, confirmed Monday by South Korea's Defense Ministry, follows President Lee Jae Myung's decision in June to suspend the loudspeaker operations shortly after taking office. The devices had been used under previous conservative leadership to blast K-pop music and messages critical of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, drawing fierce condemnation from Pyongyang.
"The dismantling of loudspeakers is a practical measure to help ease tensions between the South and the North," the ministry said in a statement. Ministry spokesperson Lee Kyung-ho added during a briefing that no prior consultation had taken place with North Korea and declined to specify whether the equipment could be redeployed.
Photographs released by the military show South Korean soldiers removing the speaker walls that had lined parts of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Though the psychological warfare tools have been periodically activated and deactivated over the years, their presence has consistently provoked sharp responses from North Korea.
The loudspeakers were reactivated last year under ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol following North Korea's launch of trash-filled balloons into the South. In response, Seoul resumed blasting propaganda and Korean pop music, which the North has deemed "psychologically detrimental."
North Korea has yet to officially comment on the dismantling, but Pyongyang previously dismissed the overture. In late July, Kim Yo Jong, sister of the North Korean leader and a powerful figure in the regime, stated via the Korean Central News Agency: "We reiterate our official position that we have no interest in any policies established or proposals made in Seoul."
She continued, "The relationship between the two countries has already completely and irreversibly moved beyond the time frame of the concept of compatriotism."
South Korean officials say the military remains fully alert despite the dismantling, emphasizing that defense readiness will not be compromised. The government is positioning the move as part of President Lee's broader push to reengage Pyongyang diplomatically.
Since the Korean War ended in a truce in 1953, both nations have relied on periods of provocations and reconciliations to test each other's political positions. In 2018, a previous liberal government under Moon Jae-in had also removed border loudspeakers as part of a de-escalation effort during talks with Kim Jong Un.
