North Korea denies silencing border broadcasting apparatus
South Korea began dismantling loudspeakers on its side of the border on August 5 as a measure to ease tensions with North Korea. However, North Korea has denied claims that it removed any loudspeakers along the border, with Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korea's leader, stating that the South's efforts to ease tensions were worthless.
Kim Yo Jong's denial comes in response to reports about South Korea's removal of propaganda loudspeakers along the border. The South Korean military had stated in June that the two countries had halted propaganda broadcasts along the demilitarized zone. South Korea was blaring K-pop and news reports to the North in response to Pyongyang transmitting bizarre, unsettling noises along the border.
The denial by Kim Yo Jong was made in an English-language statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. According to the statement, North Korea did not remove propaganda loudspeakers along the border with South Korea as claimed by the South Korean military. In fact, it installed additional loudspeakers instead. The South Korean military dismantled its loudspeakers early in August, and North Korea reportedly removed only two loudspeakers but quickly reinstalled one.
Kim Yo Jong's statement underscores that North Korea's stance against South Korea will be fixed in their constitution in the future. The denial appears linked to North Korea’s strategic stance amid ongoing tensions, particularly criticism of the Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises between South Korea and the U.S. North Korea likely wanted to signal that it retains its propaganda capabilities and resolve, rejecting South Korean narratives of de-escalation or goodwill in this area.
The denial by Kim Yo Jong was in response to reports by the South Korean military about the removal of propaganda loudspeakers by Pyongyang. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has vowed to reach out to the nuclear-armed North and pursue dialogue without preconditions. However, Kim Yo Jong, in a statement on Thursday, dismissed South Korea's gestures as attempts to mislead public opinion.
This development comes as a setback for South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's approach, which is a reversal from his hawkish predecessor's approach. The bizarre, unsettling noises from Pyongyang had become a major nuisance for South Korean locals. Kim Jong Un, the ruler of North Korea, has not been directly mentioned in this paragraph.
The denial by Kim Yo Jong, regarding the removal of propaganda loudspeakers along the border with South Korea, indicates a persisting divide in war-and-conflicts politics between the two nations, as reported in general news. This denial, made amid ongoing tensions, seems to signal North Korea's intention to maintain its propaganda capabilities, contradicting South Korea's efforts towards de-escalation in war-and-conflicts matters.
