North Korea began dismantling loudspeakers aimed at South Korea in some frontline areas starting on 9th. This comes four days after our military removed all loudspeakers directed at North Korea by 5th. While some interpret this as a sign of easing military tension, there are also views suggesting that the dismantling of loudspeakers aimed at South Korea has not occurred across all frontline areas, and thus, it requires further observation.
Lee Seong-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a regular briefing at the Ministry of National Defense on the 11th, 'We confirmed the trend of dismantling (the loudspeakers aimed at South Korea) in some frontline areas on the morning of the 9th,' adding, 'Further confirmation is needed regarding the dismantling across all regions, and the military is closely monitoring North Korea's related activities.' He continued, 'North Korea has consistently attached and detached small loudspeakers, and we need to see if this activity leads to dismantling.'
The areas where North Korea installed loudspeakers aimed at South Korea total around 40 frontline locations, and it has been reported that dismantling in some areas was completed on the 10th. Prior to this, our military had removed all loudspeakers directed at North Korea at about 20 frontline locations on the 4th and 5th.
North Korea's recent dismantling of loudspeakers aimed at South Korea is evaluated as a response to the Lee Jae-myung administration's measures for easing tensions. After President Lee Jae-myung implemented a stop to loudspeakers directed at North Korea in June, North Korea ceased its propaganda broadcasts aimed at South Korea in just eight hours. Furthermore, as the National Intelligence Service stopped sending radio and TV broadcasts to North Korea, it also halted jamming signals aimed at South Korea.
However, some voices express skepticism about the significance of the partial dismantling of the loudspeakers aimed at South Korea. Kim Yo-jong, deputy director of North Korea's Labor Party, mentioned in a statement on the 28th of last month, 'There is no need to sit face-to-face with South Korea,' and has not shown any particular stance since then. Additionally, it has been reported that North Korea is currently not accepting the South Korean government's request to resume inter-Korean communication.
Meanwhile, North Korea displayed a sharp response to the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) joint exercises between South Korea and the United States today.
The Korean Central News Agency reported a statement issued by Defense Minister No Kwang-chul this morning titled, 'It is the absolute mission of the republic's military to defend the nation's safety interests from the hostile threats of the U.S. and South Korea.' Minister No stated, 'We strongly condemn the provocative actions of the U.S. and South Korea and warn them sternly about the negative consequences that may arise.'