Seoul: North Korea appears to have paused its broadcasts of loud noises toward South Korea on Thursday, the South's military announced, following Seoul's decision to suspend its yearlong anti-Pyongyang broadcasts along the border.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that no broadcasts from North Korea's loudspeakers were detected on Thursday. They emphasized that they are closely monitoring related activities in the North. A military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that the last instance of the North's loud broadcasts was recorded in the western border area late Wednesday night.
On Wednesday, President Lee Jae-myung ordered the suspension of loudspeaker broadcasts targeting North Korea, aiming to ease tensions and rebuild trust between the two Koreas. The presidential office highlighted the necessity to relieve the suffering of border area residents, who have been significantly affected by the noise pollution, which included sounds of sirens and traditional drums.
Following President Lee's directive, the South Korean military ceased its loudspeaker broadcasts in the border areas starting at 2 p.m. Wednesday. This suspension came after the military had resumed the campaign a year ago, for the first time in six years, under the former Yoon Suk Yeol government. The resumption last year was in response to the North's repeated launch of trash-carrying balloons across the border.
In a related development, North Korea seems to have switched its loudspeaker broadcasts to music in the western border county of Gangwha. Local authorities have pledged to enhance monitoring of the North's broadcasts to determine if this change persists.