Seoul: North Korea does not appear to have removed any additional loudspeakers installed along the border that blare noise into South Korea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Monday, after the North was seen beginning to dismantle some last week.
According to Yonhap News Agency, on Saturday, the JCS reported detecting the North Korean military removing border loudspeakers in parts of the front-line area. This action seemed to be in response to South Korea’s recent complete removal of its own loudspeakers to reduce inter-Korean tensions.
“We have no additional details to share,” JCS spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun stated during a regular press briefing. “Additional verification is needed as to whether (the removal) will take place in all border areas. Our military is closely monitoring the North Korean military’s activities.”
Col. Lee refrained from specifying the number of loudspeakers that North Korea has taken down. He mentioned that the North has previously removed and reinstalled small loudspeakers along the border as part of “maintenance,” indicating the need to observe whether the recent actions will lead to further removals.
The North’s latest move followed South Korea’s complete dismantling of its anti-Pyongyang loudspeakers along the heavily fortified border. This was part of South Korea’s suspension of propaganda broadcasts critical of the North in June, in alignment with President Lee Jae Myung’s efforts to mend strained ties with the North.
Seoul’s unification ministry, responsible for inter-Korean affairs, noted that Pyongyang appears to have “swiftly” removed the loudspeakers in response to the South’s actions. “The government will consistently push for measures aimed at reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and establishing a mood for peace,” ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam said during a press briefing Monday.