On June 9, the South Korean government responded to North Korea’s repeated propaganda balloon offensives by dusting off the loudspeaker card, which had been dormant for six years. The loudspeaker broadcasts towards North Korea, which was suspended during President Moon Jae In’s administration in 2018, have resumed after nearly six years to counter North Korea’s various provocations. South Korea’s move has heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
According to an announcement from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military conducted the loudspeaker broadcasts in areas adjacent to North Korea, at the forefront of the battle lines. Then, they immediately deployed mobile vehicles capable of loudspeaker broadcasts, resuming psychological warfare against North Korea. The loudspeaker broadcasts, which North Korea has historically reacted to with extreme sensitivity, are considered one of Kim Jong Un’s Achilles’ heels. Given North Korea’s past responses to South Korean broadcasts, it is likely that they will strongly oppose the resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts.
A Joint Chiefs of Staff official stated, “The decision to continue the loudspeaker broadcasts towards North Korea entirely depends on North Korea’s actions.” He made it clear that all responsibility for the current situation lies with North Korea and strongly urged them to immediately cease their despicable acts, such as the filth balloons. He added, “The military is closely monitoring North Korea’s various activities under a robust U.S.-Korea joint defense posture. The military will maintain its ability and readiness to overwhelmingly respond to any provocations.”
In 2015, in response to North Korea’s landmine provocation in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), South Korea resumed loudspeaker broadcasts towards North Korea after 11 years, causing a major conflict. North Korea threatened indiscriminate strikes by sending a public warning letter in the name of the People’s Army frontline command. Ten days after the resumption of the loudspeaker broadcasts, North Korea fired an artillery shell and Kim Yang Gon, the director of the United Front Department, sent a letter to the Blue House demanding the cessation of the broadcasts, defining them as a declaration of war. When their demand was not met, North Korea declared a quasi-state of war, and South Korea also issued the highest level of alert, leading to a situation on the brink of crisis.
Amid the heightened tensions, high-level talks between the two Koreas were held at the suggestion of North Korea. After more than 43 hours of negotiations over four sleepless days, North Korea expressed regret for the landmine provocation and lifted the quasi-state of war, while South Korea halted the loudspeaker broadcasts.
However, the current situation is likely to unfold differently. Kim Jong Un will probably escalate the conflict by declaring the relationship between North and South Korea as hostile war relations, based on his confidence as a nuclear state. The South Korean government, which quickly responded to North Korea’s filth balloons by resuming the loudspeaker broadcasts, is not expected to back down easily.
The loudspeaker broadcasts towards North Korea have been used as a means of psychological warfare against North Korea since 1963. Accordingly, North Korea may conduct direct artillery fire at the loudspeakers as it did in 2015, or it may use a new attack method involving drones.
So, what content is included in the loudspeaker broadcasts that North Korea reacts to so sensitively? The content of the broadcasts towards North Korea, which resumed after nine years, includes condemnation of North Korea’s nuclear and missile provocation threats by the international community, and information on the international political situation related to North Korea’s repeated violations of UN Security Council sanctions.
The broadcasts also include an introduction to South Korea’s progress, such as Samsung Electronics’ mobile phones ranking first in global shipments, and specific content about the oppression of residents by the North Korean regime. In addition, songs by BTS such as “Dynamite” and “Butter,” and songs by Bolbbalgan4, were reportedly played during the broadcasts. North Korea has shown a negative reaction to South Korean K-pop and has enacted laws that can lead to capital punishment in cases of smuggling or distributing South Korean music or dramas.
Meanwhile, loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea began as a countermeasure to North Korea’s loudspeaker broadcasts toward South Korea. Psychological warfare using loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea was activated during the Lee Myung Bak and Park Geun Hye administrations and was suspended for over six years during the Moon Jae-In administration following the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration. The loudspeakers used for these broadcasts can reportedly send sound up to 12 to 18 miles depending on the terrain and weather conditions. In the past, the military authorities have confirmed that they broadcast news covering the realities of North Korea and South Korea, weather information, popular South Korean songs, and English conversation broadcasts.
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