Latest news with #JointChiefsOfStaff
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
North Korea removing propaganda loudspeakers in border areas amid efforts to ease tensions
South Korea's military has said North Korea has started dismantling some propaganda loudspeakers aimed at the South in parts of the border area, following similar moves by Seoul made in a bid to ease tensions. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff didn't disclose the sites where the North Koreans were removing speakers and said further confirmation was needed as to whether the dismantling was taking place across all areas, adding it would continue monitoring related activities. 'Activities by the North Korean military removing loudspeakers against South Korea have been detected in parts of the front-line area since Saturday morning,' the military said in a notice to reporters on Saturday. The announcement is a rare sign of rapprochement between the two Koreas since President Lee Jae Myung became president in June, replacing conservative hardliner Yoon Suk Yeol following his short-lived attempt to impose martial law. Shortly after Lee took office, his administration switched off propaganda broadcasts criticising the North Korean regime as it looked to revive stalled dialogue with its neighbour. The South Korean military said the North stopped its broadcasts in June too. A week ago, South Korea then began dismantling its own speakers, which blast a mix of world news and information about democratic and capitalist society alongside K-pop music. The sound is believed to travel more than 20km (12.4 miles) into North Korea. Previously, South Korean border residents had complained that North Korean speakers blasted irritating sounds, including howling animals and pounding gongs, in a tit-for-tat response to South Korean propaganda broadcasts. North Korea, which is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of its authoritarian leadership and its third-generation ruler, Kim Jong-un, didn't immediately confirm it was taking down its speakers. South Korea's previous conservative government resumed daily loudspeaker broadcasts in June last year, following a years-long pause, in retaliation for North Korea flying rubbish-filled balloons toward the South. President Lee has taken further measures to improve ties with Pyongyang, urging civic groups to suspend distribution of leaflets criticising the North, and delaying some annual joint military drills with the US taking place in the coming weeks as part of the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises. The two Koreas remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean war ended only in a truce, and relations have deteriorated in the past few years. With Reuters and Associated Press
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
North Korea removing propaganda loudspeakers in border areas amid efforts to ease tensions
South Korea's military has said North Korea has started dismantling some propaganda loudspeakers aimed at the South in parts of the border area, following similar moves by Seoul made in a bid to ease tensions. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff didn't disclose the sites where the North Koreans were removing speakers and said further confirmation was needed as to whether the dismantling was taking place across all areas, adding it would continue monitoring related activities. 'Activities by the North Korean military removing loudspeakers against South Korea have been detected in parts of the front-line area since Saturday morning,' the military said in a notice to reporters on Saturday. The announcement is a rare sign of rapprochement between the two Koreas since President Lee Jae Myung became president in June, replacing conservative hardliner Yoon Suk Yeol following his short-lived attempt to impose martial law. Shortly after Lee took office, his administration switched off propaganda broadcasts criticising the North Korean regime as it looked to revive stalled dialogue with its neighbour. The South Korean military said the North stopped its broadcasts in June too. A week ago, South Korea then began dismantling its own speakers, which blast a mix of world news and information about democratic and capitalist society alongside K-pop music. The sound is believed to travel more than 20km (12.4 miles) into North Korea. Previously, South Korean border residents had complained that North Korean speakers blasted irritating sounds, including howling animals and pounding gongs, in a tit-for-tat response to South Korean propaganda broadcasts. North Korea, which is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of its authoritarian leadership and its third-generation ruler, Kim Jong-un, didn't immediately confirm it was taking down its speakers. South Korea's previous conservative government resumed daily loudspeaker broadcasts in June last year, following a years-long pause, in retaliation for North Korea flying rubbish-filled balloons toward the South. President Lee has taken further measures to improve ties with Pyongyang, urging civic groups to suspend distribution of leaflets criticising the North, and delaying some annual joint military drills with the US taking place in the coming weeks as part of the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises. The two Koreas remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean war ended only in a truce, and relations have deteriorated in the past few years. With Reuters and Associated Press
CNN
a day ago
- Politics
- CNN
North Korea takes down propaganda loudspeakers from tense border
South Korea's military said Saturday it detected North Korea removing some of its loudspeakers from the inter-Korean border, days after the South dismantled its own front-line speakers used for anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts, in a bid to ease tensions. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff didn't disclose the sites where the North Koreans were removing speakers and said it wasn't immediately clear whether the North would take all of them down. In recent months, South Korean border residents have complained that North Korean speakers blasted irritating sounds, including howling animals and pounding gongs, in a tit-for-tat response to South Korean propaganda broadcasts. The South Korean military said the North stopped its broadcasts in June after Seoul's new liberal president, Lee Jae Myung, halted the South's broadcasts in his government's first concrete step toward easing tensions between the war-divided rivals. South Korea's military began removing its speakers from border areas on Monday but didn't specify how they would be stored or whether they could be quickly redeployed if tensions flared again. North Korea, which is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of its authoritarian leadership and its third-generation ruler, Kim Jong Un, didn't immediately confirm it was taking down its speakers. South Korea's previous conservative government resumed daily loudspeaker broadcasts in June last year, following a yearslong pause, in retaliation for North Korea flying trash-laden balloons toward the South. The speakers blasted propaganda messages and K-pop songs, a playlist designed to strike a nerve in Pyongyang, where Kim has been pushing an intense campaign to eliminate the influence of South Korean pop culture and language among the population in a bid to strengthen his family's dynastic rule. The Cold War-style psychological warfare campaigns further heightened tensions already inflamed by North Korea's advancing nuclear program and South Korean efforts to expand joint military exercises with the United States and their trilateral security cooperation with Japan. Lee, who took office in June after winning an early election to replace ousted conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, wants to improve relations with Pyongyang, which reacted furiously to Yoon's hard-line policies and shunned dialogue. But Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader, rebuffed overtures by Lee's government in late July, saying that the current government's 'blind trust' in the country's alliance with the United States makes it no different from its conservative predecessor. She later issued a separate statement dismissing the administration of US President Donald Trump's intent to resume diplomacy on North Korea's denuclearization, suggesting that Pyongyang — now focused on expanding ties with Russia over the war in Ukraine — sees little urgency in resuming talks with Seoul or Washington. Tensions between the Koreas can possibly rise again later this month, when South Korea and the United States proceed with their annual large-scale combined military exercises, which begin on August 18. North Korea labels the allies' joint drills as invasion rehearsals and often uses them as a pretext to dial up military demonstrations and weapons tests aimed at advancing its nuclear program.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
North Korea is removing speakers from their tense border, South Korea military says
Seoul, South Korea - South Korea's military said Saturday it detected North Korea removing some of its loudspeakers from the inter-Korean border, days after the South dismantled its own front-line speakers used for anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts, in a bid to ease tensions. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff didn't disclose the sites where the North Koreans were removing speakers and said it wasn't immediately clear whether the North would take all of them down. In recent months, South Korean border residents have complained that North Korean speakers blasted irritating sounds, including howling animals and pounding gongs, in a tit-for-tat response to South Korean propaganda broadcasts. The South Korean military said the North stopped its broadcasts in June after Seoul's new liberal president, Lee Jae Myung, halted the South's broadcasts in his government's first concrete step toward easing tensions between the war-divided rivals. South Korea's military began removing its speakers from border areas on Monday but didn't specify how they would be stored or whether they could be quickly redeployed if tensions flared again. North Korea, which is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of its authoritarian leadership and its third-generation ruler, Kim Jong Un, didn't immediately confirm it was taking down its speakers. South Korea's previous conservative government resumed daily loudspeaker broadcasts in June last year, following a yearslong pause, in retaliation for North Korea flying trash-laden balloons toward the South. The speakers blasted propaganda messages and K-pop songs, a playlist designed to strike a nerve in Pyongyang, where Kim has been pushing an intense campaign to eliminate the influence of South Korean pop culture and language among the population in a bid to strengthen his family's dynastic rule. The Cold War-style psychological warfare campaigns further heightened tensions already inflamed by North Korea's advancing nuclear program and South Korean efforts to expand joint military exercises with the United States and their trilateral security cooperation with Japan. Lee, who took office in June after winning an early election to replace ousted conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, wants to improve relations with Pyongyang, which reacted furiously to Yoon's hard-line policies and shunned dialogue. But Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader, rebuffed overtures by Lee's government in late July, saying that Seoul's "blind trust" in the country's alliance with the United States makes it no different from its conservative predecessor. She later issued a separate statement dismissing the Trump administration's intent to resume diplomacy on North Korea's denuclearization, suggesting that Pyongyang - now focused on expanding ties with Russia over the war in Ukraine - sees little urgency in resuming talks with Seoul or Washington. Tensions between the Koreas can possibly rise again later this month, when South Korea and the United States proceed with their annual large-scale combined military exercises, which begin on Aug. 18. North Korea labels the allies' joint drills as invasion rehearsals and often uses them as a pretext to dial up military demonstrations and weapons tests aimed at advancing its nuclear program.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
South Korea's military says North Korea is removing speakers from their tense border
A North Korean military guard post, left, and loudspeaker are seen from Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. (Kim In-chul/Yonhap via AP) SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea's military said Saturday it detected North Korea removing some of its loudspeakers from the inter-Korean border, days after the South dismantled its own front-line speakers used for anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts, in a bid to ease tensions. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff didn't disclose the sites where the North Koreans were removing speakers and said it wasn't immediately clear whether the North would take all of them down. In recent months, South Korean border residents have complained that North Korean speakers blasted irritating sounds, including howling animals and pounding gongs, in a tit-for-tat response to South Korean propaganda broadcasts. The South Korean military said the North stopped its broadcasts in June after Seoul's new liberal president, Lee Jae Myung, halted the South's broadcasts in his government's first concrete step toward easing tensions between the war-divided rivals. South Korea's military began removing its speakers from border areas on Monday but didn't specify how they would be stored or whether they could be quickly redeployed if tensions flared again. North Korea, which is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of its authoritarian leadership and its third-generation ruler, Kim Jong Un, didn't immediately confirm it was taking down its speakers. South Korea's previous conservative government resumed daily loudspeaker broadcasts in June last year, following a yearslong pause, in retaliation for North Korea flying trash-laden balloons toward the South. The speakers blasted propaganda messages and K-pop songs, a playlist designed to strike a nerve in Pyongyang, where Kim has been pushing an intense campaign to eliminate the influence of South Korean pop culture and language among the population in a bid to strengthen his family's dynastic rule. The Cold War-style psychological warfare campaigns further heightened tensions already inflamed by North Korea's advancing nuclear program and South Korean efforts to expand joint military exercises with the United States and their trilateral security cooperation with Japan. Lee, who took office in June after winning an early election to replace ousted conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, wants to improve relations with Pyongyang, which reacted furiously to Yoon's hard-line policies and shunned dialogue. But Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader, rebuffed overtures by Lee's government in late July, saying that Seoul's 'blind trust' in the country's alliance with the United States makes it no different from its conservative predecessor. She later issued a separate statement dismissing the Trump administration's intent to resume diplomacy on North Korea's denuclearization, suggesting that Pyongyang — now focused on expanding ties with Russia over the war in Ukraine — sees little urgency in resuming talks with Seoul or Washington. Tensions between the Koreas can possibly rise again later this month, when South Korea and the United States proceed with their annual large-scale combined military exercises, which begin on Aug. 18. North Korea labels the allies' joint drills as invasion rehearsals and often uses them as a pretext to dial up military demonstrations and weapons tests aimed at advancing its nuclear program. Kim Tong-hyung, The Associated Press
