The South Korean military restarted their loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts aimed at undermining the regime of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un. This decision was made after North Korea sent over a thousand balloons filled with trash over the border, which has been viewed as a deliberate provocation.
According to a statement by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on social media, the military carried out the broadcast on Sunday afternoon.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that the decision to conduct more loudspeaker broadcasts by the military rests solely on North Korea’s actions. They emphasized that North Korea must take full responsibility for the situation and urged them to immediately cease their reprehensible behavior, which includes the release of filthy balloons.
The military recently conducted a live drill in preparation for the broadcast, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This marks the first time since 2018 that such a drill has been conducted, which involves the movement and installation of loudspeakers and the mastery of operating procedures.
According to the South Korean military, the primary purpose of the drill and operation was to educate North Korean soldiers and residents about the current situation in North Korea, South Korea’s advancements, and its cultural richness. There has been no response from North Korea in regards to South Korea’s broadcast.
Since 1963, South Korea has been broadcasting Korean pop music, commonly known as K-Pop, and news from outside North Korea. The objective of these broadcasts is to reach out to North Korean soldiers and civilians residing near the Demilitarized Zone.
In 2004, the broadcasts were discontinued but were later resumed in 2015. However, they were once again stopped in 2018 after both sides agreed to dismantle their loudspeakers. Recently, in June 2020, North Korea was reported to have started reinstalling its loudspeakers.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that North Korea had retaliated to South Korean activists floating balloons filled with leaflets and USB drives over the border by sending slurries of white balloons filled with trash and manure. As a result, South Korea made the decision to take action.