South Korea’s military halted anti-North propaganda broadcasts via border loudspeakers on Wednesday, marking the first tangible step by President Lee Jae-myung’s new liberal administration to ease tensions with Pyongyang.
The Defense Ministry stated the decision was part of efforts to “restore trust in inter-Korean relations and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.” The broadcasts, which had resumed in June 2024 after a six-year pause, were reinstated in retaliation for North Korea’s campaign of sending trash-laden balloons across the border.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung described the move as a “proactive step” to reduce military tensions and alleviate disruptions for South Korean residents near the border, who have also endured retaliatory broadcasts from the North.
The loudspeakers, which blast propaganda messages and K-pop songs into the North, were reactivated last year after Pyongyang launched thousands of balloons carrying wastepaper, cloth scraps, and even manure into the South. According to Seoul’s military, North Korea sent roughly 7,000 balloons across the border in 32 separate incidents between May and November 2024.
Pyongyang claimed its balloon campaign was a response to South Korean activists sending anti-regime leaflets and USB drives containing South Korean media—content strictly banned in the North. In a notable incident, debris from a North Korean balloon landed on the South Korean presidential compound in July, though no injuries or hazardous materials were reported.
The broadcasts were designed to provoke Pyongyang, where Kim’s regime has intensified efforts to purge South Korean cultural influence to maintain ideological control.
President Lee, who took office last week after defeating conservative Yoon Suk Yeol in a snap election, has pledged to improve relations with the North. His administration has urged activists to cease sending propaganda leaflets, warning such actions risk escalating tensions and endangering border residents.
However, prospects for renewed dialogue remain slim. North Korea has rejected overtures from Seoul and Washington since the collapse of U.S.-North Korea nuclear talks in 2019. Instead, Pyongyang has deepened ties with Russia, supplying troops and weapons for its war in Ukraine—a move that has raised concerns over potential Russian technological support for North Korea’s nuclear program.
Meanwhile, residents near the border welcomed the suspension of broadcasts, which had disrupted daily life with round-the-clock noise. Ganghwa County officials expressed hope that the move would end reciprocal psychological warfare and restore normalcy.
Though the broadcasts are paused rather than permanently ended, the decision reflects Seoul’s cautious approach—leaving the door open to resumption if necessary. The two Koreas remain technically at war, with the 1950-53 conflict ending in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
As tensions persist over North Korea’s advancing nuclear arsenal and expanding military partnerships, Seoul’s latest gesture underscores the challenges of fostering diplomacy amid enduring hostility.