South Korea has suspended loudspeaker broadcasts along its border with North Korea, the Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday, in a move signalling a thaw in inter-Korean relations under newly elected President Lee Jae-myung.
The decision comes on Wednesday as President Lee, leader of the Democratic Party, begins to implement his campaign pledge to rebuild trust with Pyongyang and restore dialogue on the Korean Peninsula.
“The decision was made as part of efforts to carry out the promise of restoring inter-Korean trust and peace,” a South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official said.
The broadcasts — which typically include South Korean news, pop music, and messages critical of the North Korean leadership — had been resumed in June of last year after Pyongyang sent waves of trash-filled balloons across the border.
Tensions between the two Koreas have escalated sharply in recent years, with diplomatic channels frozen and several bilateral agreements scrapped during the term of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was ousted earlier this year. Lee’s administration has vowed to reverse course and pursue a more conciliatory approach.
Observers view the suspension of the broadcasts as a symbolic but meaningful gesture toward reducing hostilities and reopening channels for dialogue.
