SEOUL – South Korea has begun dismantling its anti-North Korea loudspeakers near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in a move intended to reduce tensions and signal a renewed commitment to peaceful inter-Korean relations, according to the Ministry of National Defence.
Col. Lee Kyung-ho, vice spokesperson for the ministry, confirmed during a Monday briefing that the dismantling is a “practical step” following the June 11 suspension of the broadcasts. “It is being carried out within a scope that does not affect our military’s readiness,” he noted, stressing that the measure was initiated independently by President Lee Jae Myung’s administration without prior coordination with Pyongyang.
President Lee, inaugurated on June 4, halted the loudspeaker broadcasts just a week into office, citing both diplomatic concerns and stress caused to border-area residents. In a gesture that appeared to reciprocate Seoul’s move, North Korea stopped its own broadcasts the following day.
The use of loudspeakers along the border dates back to the 1960s, and their operation has been closely tied to the state of inter-Korean relations. A previous suspension occurred in 2018 under the Panmunjom Declaration, but broadcasts resumed in June 2024 during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration after North Korea sent trash-laden balloons into the South.
The current dismantling process includes the removal of all fixed loudspeakers, expected to conclude within days. Mobile and vehicle-mounted units were withdrawn shortly after the initial suspension in June.
Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies, hailed the decision as a “preemptive action” that could revive efforts to restore the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, which collapsed in late 2023 after North Korea unilaterally withdrew. South Korea suspended its participation in the agreement in June 2024 in response to Pyongyang’s provocations.
Yang also advocated for a re-evaluation of joint South Korea–US military drills, urging a shift towards defensive-only exercises to support a peace-based economic future on the Korean Peninsula.
Meanwhile, North Korea has not yet taken similar action. “We’ve observed signs of maintenance work on some of their loudspeakers, but not removal,” said Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun.
Despite the de-escalation gesture, Seoul’s Defence Ministry confirmed that the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield joint drills with the United States will proceed as scheduled in mid-August, maintaining preparedness while navigating a fragile path toward peace.
