SEOUL, South Korea: South Korea’s military has renewed loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts aimed at North Korea following a fresh wave of provocations from Pyongyang. On Friday, South Korean officials reported that approximately 200 trash-carrying balloons had been launched by North Korea from Thursday to Friday, marking the eighth such round of balloon launches since late May.
In response to these provocations, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed that loudspeaker broadcasts were resumed from Thursday evening to Friday morning. The broadcasts, a historical tactic dating back to the Korean War, are meant to counter North Korea’s actions and convey messages from the South. The JCS stated that these broadcasts would continue, though they did not specify the duration.
North Korea’s balloon launches are seen as a violation of the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War in 1953, leaving the two Koreas technically still at war. These actions have been labeled by South Korea as “shameful and low-level acts” that endanger South Korean civilians. South Korean officials also reported that the balloons mostly contained scrap paper and did not pose a significant environmental hazard.
The renewed broadcasts are part of a broader escalation in tensions between the two countries. This includes North Korea’s recent sending of over a thousand balloons southward as retaliation for anti-Kim propaganda balloons floated by South Korean activists. This situation has led to disruptions in civilian air traffic, with more than 100 flights affected.
In June, South Korea had suspended a tension-reducing military deal and resumed the broadcasts, which previously had been on hold for six years. The June 9 broadcast notably included popular South Korean pop culture content, such as music from BTS and information about Samsung Electronics, underscoring Seoul’s intent to leverage cultural diplomacy amid rising tensions.
