North Korea stands firm on border loudspeaker removal denial
Kim Yo Jong Refutes Claims of Loudspeaker Removal
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korea’s leader, has publicly denied reports that Pyongyang has dismantled propaganda loudspeakers along the inter‑Korean border.
South Korean Military Claims
- South Korea’s defense ministry stated in the past month that propaganda broadcasts on the demilitarized zone (DMZ) had ceased.
- It added that North Korean troops had been observed removing loudspeakers on the frontier.
North Korean Response
Kim Yo Jong’s statement, released by the Korean Central News Agency, emphatically proclaimed:
“We have never removed loudspeakers installed on the border area and are not willing to remove them.”
She also criticized South Korea’s “goodwill measures” and portrayed them as attempts to “mislead public opinion” about a supposed rapprochement “between the DPRK and ROK.” She declared that the DPRK has “no will to improve relations with the ROK” and that this stance will be enshrined in a future constitution.
Context: Upcoming Joint Military Drills
South Korea and the United States plan annual joint exercises from August 18 to 28, designed to contain North Korea. Kim Yo Jong stated that regardless of South Korea’s actions—whether removal of loudspeakers, cessation of broadcasts, or reduction of drills—North Korea remains uninterested in any such measures.
South Korean Diplomatic Position
- The South Korean government maintains a policy of pursuing “normalization and stabilization” with the North.
- An official from the unification ministry suggested that a period of dialogue requires a long‑term, composed approach after a hardline standoff of three years.
Historical Background of Loudspeaker Tactics
- A few years ago, North Korea launched balloon campaigns toward South Korea, accusing them of anti‑North propaganda.
- The South Korean government subsequently activated border loudspeakers for the first time in six years, broadcasting K‑pop and news.
- Pyongyang responded with a series of unfamiliar sounds transmitted back to the frontier, unsettling the local populace.
- Such loudspeaker broadcasts trace back to the Korean War and have previously prompted threat of artillery strikes toward Seoul’s speaker units.
International Reactions
Lim Eul‑chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, referred to Kim Yo Jong’s latest statement as a “death certificate” of potential inter‑Korean or US‑North Korean détente. He argued that the DPRK’s position has hardened since July, effectively denying any future dialogue with both South Korea and the United States.
Yang Moo‑jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies, cautions that any tension‑easing initiative will likely be ignored, potentially neutralizing military de‑escalation mechanisms.
Implications for Regional Security
North Korea, historically resentful of US‑South Korean drills, claims they are rehearsals for invasion. With approximately 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, the allies regularly conduct joint exercises that they describe as defensive.
Despite the Korean War coming to an armistice rather than a peace treaty, the two Koreas remain technically at war, further complicating diplomatic efforts.
