S. Korea’s President Orders Suspension of Anti-North Propaganda

(MENAFN) South Korea’s newly sworn-in President Lee Jae-myung has ordered a suspension of anti-North Korea propaganda broadcasts along the border, signaling a move to reduce tensions and “rebuild trust” between the two Koreas.

Relations between the North and South hit historic lows during the term of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was recently impeached. Lee has vowed to repair these strained ties.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced that Lee directed the military to stop cross-border loudspeaker broadcasts as a step to reduce tensions with North Korea.

The decision aims to show the new administration’s “commitment to restoring trust in inter-Korean relations and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula,” Kang said. She added it is also “meant to reduce military confrontation between the two Koreas and open the door to rebuilding mutual trust.”

She added that it will also serve as a “practical step” to alleviate the hardship experienced by locals disturbed by the noise.

Since June of last year, large-scale loudspeakers have broadcast propaganda, South Korean news, and K-pop across the border, following renewed tensions. At that time, North Korea retaliated by sending balloons carrying trash and excrement southward after Seoul distributed propaganda leaflets in the North.

Lee, who secured victory in a snap election last week, pledged to end both the loudspeaker propaganda and leaflet campaigns. His predecessor, Yoon, was impeached in December and faces insurrection charges after briefly declaring martial law amid concerns about a possible “rebellion” from pro-Pyongyang groups within the opposition.

North Korea has repeatedly condemned joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States over the years, labeling them as rehearsals for invasion. Pyongyang perceives the presence of U.S. troops and advanced weapon systems in these drills as direct threats to its sovereignty, prompting it to strengthen its military defenses. Technically, Seoul and Washington remain in a state of war with Pyongyang since the 1953 armistice.

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