Seoul halts loudspeaker broadcasts to North Korea
South Korea on Wednesday suspended its loudspeaker broadcasts aimed at North Korea, in a move that comes just a week after the liberal Lee Jae-myung administration took office.
According to government and military officials, the decision was made by the presidential office.
President Lee had pledged during his campaign ahead of the June 3 presidential election to halt the operation, as part of broader efforts to ease tensions and improve inter-Korean relations.
The broadcasts had been resumed by the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration in June 2024 after a six-year hiatus. The decision came as North Korea continued sending waste-filled balloons across the border, prompting Seoul to suspend the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
3 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee, Australian PM agree to strengthen cooperation in defense, arms, critical minerals
President Lee Jae-myung spoke by phone with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in defense, arms and critical minerals, his spokesperson said. During the 15-minute call, the first between the two leaders since Lee took office last week, Lee noted that the two countries have worked together as comprehensive strategic partners to bring stability and prosperity to the international community, spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said during a press briefing. The two leaders particularly noted ongoing cooperation in defense, arms, clean energy and critical minerals sectors, and agreed to further strengthen such cooperation, she said. The leaders also agreed to strengthen communication and cooperation for actual progress on the North Korean nuclear issue while working together for a successful summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, later this year. Kang added that the two agreed to meet in person in the future to discuss specific areas of cooperation that will help further strengthen bilateral relations.
Korea Herald
5 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee stresses public safety measures at Itaewon crowd crush site
President Lee Jae-myung stressed the need to strengthen public safety measures Thursday as he visited the site of the crowd crush that claimed 159 people in 2022. Lee laid flowers and observed a moment of silence at Memorial Alley in Seoul's Itaewon district, where the deadly tragedy occurred during Halloween festivities. Prior to the visit, Lee convened a disaster preparedness meeting at the Han River Flood Control Center in southern Seoul to assess readiness for the upcoming rainy season. Citing the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking that claimed 304 lives, the Itaewon crowd crush and the 2023 underground tunnel flooding in Osong that killed 13 people, Lee said the government will strictly respond to anticipated safety-related disasters. During the meeting, he also called for institutional reforms to empower public safety officials, including upgraded ranks and improved compensation in recognition of their increased responsibilities.
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee Jae-myung calls for broader bilateral ties in Vietnam infrastructure
President Lee Jae-myung called for expanded cooperation with Vietnam during phone talks with Vietnam's President Luong Cuong Thursday morning, highlighting South Korean firms' bid to participate in infrastructure construction projects, including high-speed railways and nuclear power plants. Lee's spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters Thursday that the bilateral economic ties could expand and deepen to bolster "strategic cooperations in the field of high-speed railways and nuclear power plants," as the two countries had raised their bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership — the highest in Vietnam's diplomatic hierarchy. According to Kang, Cuong described South Korea as a "trusted, crucial partner" in Vietnam's economic development and advancement during the phone talks. Lee asked that Cuong give keen attention to South Korean businesses operating in Vietnam, and support their "smooth activities" in the Southeast Asian country, Kang said, adding Cuong made "a positive response" to Lee's request. Kang did not elaborate further on which infrastructure projects, or which South Korean company she was referring to. The remarks came as Vietnam was working to build the North-South high-speed railway spanning more than 1,500 kilometers and connecting its capital in the northern region, Hanoi, with Ho Chi Minh City in the southern region. The 1,713 trillion-dong ($66 billion) project gained parliamentary approval in November and aims for construction to be completed by 2030. While a South Korean consortium could be considered one of the potential contenders in the blockbuster project, Vietnamese companies such as VinSpeed and Thaco have also reportedly expressed bids for the project. The focus is also on whether South Korean firms will be able to participate in the planned Ninh Thuan nuclear power project to build two units, which won the Vietnamese parliament's approval for the project restart in December. The project in the southeastern region of Vietnam, about 1,100 kilometers away from Hanoi, had been paused for eight years. If the construction is completed as planned by 2030, these would be Vietnam's first nuclear power units. Meanwhile, President Lee was invited to visit Vietnam by his Vietnamese counterpart. Lee expressed anticipation for his visit to the country to discuss ways to develop bilateral ties, according to the presidential office. The last South Korean leader to visit Vietnam was Lee's disgraced predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, in 2023. Kang also said the two leaders discussed more active high-level exchange ahead of South Korea's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in November. This year marks the third anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. The partnership was elevated in December 2022 under the Yoon administration. According to Lee's office, the phone call between the two leaders took place Thursday morning for around 25 minutes from 9:30 a.m. Cuong is a former army general who was elected the president of Vietnam by its parliament. He was the fifth leader whom Lee had talked to via phone. Since being sworn in, Lee spoke to US President Donald Trump, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Czech Republic's Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
