North Korea appears to have stopped loudspeakers blasting noise, Seoul says
FILE PHOTO: South Korean soldiers work on a loudspeaker that is set up for propaganda broadcasts during a military drill near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Paju, South Korea, in this handout picture provided by the Defense Ministry and released on June 9, 2024. The Defense Ministry/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY./File Photo
SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea appears to have stopped loudspeakers near the border targeting South Korea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Thursday.
The JCS said that North Korean loudspeaker broadcasts were not heard on Thursday, and the South Korean military was monitoring Pyongyang's activities.
Seoul suspended its own loudspeaker broadcasts near the border targeting North Korea on Wednesday, after having resumed propaganda and K-pop blasts last year during a time of growing tension with its neighbour.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who took office this month vowing to resume dialogue with the North, ordered the move to ease tension, a presidential spokesperson said.
Those living near the heavily fortified border have opposed the loudspeaker broadcasts, which they blame for severe noise nuisance.
(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Kim Coghill and Sonali Paul)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
an hour ago
- Barnama
Explosions Heard Near Tehran Amid Reported Israeli Strikes
People gather in the street in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS TEHRAN, June 13 (Bernama-IRNA) -- Sounds of explosions have been heard in and near the Iranian capital, Tehran, amid reports in Israeli media that the Israeli regime is carrying out strikes against Iranian targets, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. The sounds were heard early on Friday. Unverified images and footage began to appear on social media showing plumes of smoke over Tehran's skyline. The sources of the sounds remain unclear, and the Israeli claims have not been immediately verified. bootstrap slideshow The Times of Israel cited Israeli Minister for Military Affairs, Israel Katz, as saying that the regime was conducting strikes on Iran. Katz simultaneously declared a state of emergency across Israel. In recent days, as reports emerged in US and Israeli media about imminent strikes against Iran, Iranian officials warned that any aggression against Iranian territory would have devastating consequences. -- BERNAMA-IRNA BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies. Follow us on social media : Facebook : @bernamaofficial , @bernamatv , @bernamaradio Twitter : @ , @BernamaTV , @bernamaradio Instagram : @bernamaofficial , @bernamatvofficial , @bernamaradioofficial TikTok : @bernamaofficial
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Israel launches strikes on Iran as nuclear tensions soar
JERUSALEM: Israel said early on Friday that it struck Iran, and Iranian media said explosions were heard in Tehran as tensions mounted over United States' efforts to win Iran's agreement to halt production of material for an atomic bomb. Israel said it was declaring a state of emergency in anticipation of a missile and drone strike by Tehran. An Israeli military official said Israel was striking "dozens" of nuclear and military targets. The official said Iran had enough material to make 15 nuclear bombs within days. "Following the preemptive strike by the State of Israel against Iran, a missile and UAV (drone) attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate timeframe," Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. Two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said Israel had begun carrying out strikes on Iran and there was no U.S. assistance or involvement in the operation. CNN reported that U.S. President Donald Trump was convening a cabinet meeting. Crude oil prices jumped more than $3 a barrel on the news. Iran's state TV said several explosions were heard in Tehran and the country's air defence system was on full alert. U.S. and Iranian officials were scheduled to hold a sixth round of talks on Tehran's escalating uranium enrichment programme in Oman on Sunday, according to officials from both countries and their Omani mediators. But the talks have appeared to be deadlocked. Trump said on Thursday an Israeli strike on Iran "could very well happen" but reiterated his hopes for a peaceful resolution. U.S. intelligence had indicated that Israel was making preparations for a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, and U.S. officials said on condition of anonymity that Israel could attack in the coming days. Israel has long discussed striking its longtime foe Iran in an effort to block Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. The U.S. military is planning for the full range of contingencies in the Middle East, including the possibility that it might have to help evacuate American civilians, a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. — REUTERS
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Farewell frenzy in the Blue House
The queue stretches all the way down the road. Tens of thousands of people are flocking to South Korea's historic Blue House before the new president moves his office back in. Ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol spurned the elegant compound in leafy northern Seoul claiming it was too 'imperial'. He opened it to the public in 2022, and moved into a hastily converted ministry instead. But with Yoon impeached over a failed martial law bid, newly elected Lee Jae-myung plans to move the seat of power back, triggering a frenzy of last-minute visits. 'I figured if I missed this chance I would never get to come here,' said Jang Myung-hee, 65, who visited with her friends. She said it was the 'right call' for South Korea's leaders to resettle in the Blue House as it 'befits the nation's prestige'. 'I can definitely feel this place is different.' The building is named for the approximately 150,000 hand-painted blue tiles that adorn its roof. Once occupied by former colonial power Japan, the site has housed South Korea's leaders for seven decades. On the campaign trail, Lee vowed to return. 'It is traditional, symbolic and optimal,' he told local media. Visitors to the Blue House surged ahead of the June 3 snap election: around 427,000 in May – double the number from the same month last year. In all, more than 7.8 million people – including 800,000 foreigners – have visited since the site's May 2022 public opening. 'I have come here with my kids for educational purposes, as it might be difficult for us to visit again,' said Son Young-ah, 49. One woman, upon leaving the main gate, muttered: 'With this exit, I may never be able to set foot here again.' In early 2018, during a period of warmer ties, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister visited the Blue House – the first by the isolated country's ruling Kim family. 'I look forward to seeing Pyongyang and Seoul come closer in the minds of Korean people,' Kim Yo-jong wrote in the visitors' book. The Blue House has long been the subject of public fascination, fuelled in part by a series of misfortunes that have befallen past inhabitants, including assassinations, impeachments, corruption trials and imprisonments. Yoon's relocation may have been in part an effort to escape such a fate – which some believe is linked to the feng shui of the site. But the change in premises failed to spare his presidency: he was impeached in April after his brief martial law declaration and now faces a criminal trial. Yoon's replacement had little interest in continuing to occupy the former Defence Ministry in central Seoul. The ministry is plagued by 'security issues such as wiretapping' and lacks the privacy and seclusion of the Blue House, Lee has said. No date has been announced for the return to Blue House, but visitors to the site felt it was imminent. 'I held off coming here because I thought I could come here anytime,' Kim Jong-chun, 71, said. But he realised it was now or never after Lee's election. 'I came here today for the first time to celebrate my birthday,' he said. 'For the symbolisms it caries, I deeply support and welcome Lee's decision to return here.' — AFP
