Kim Jong Un’s sister said that Pyongyang has not dismantled propaganda loudspeakers and has no plans to improve relations with South Korea, Korean media reported on Thursday.
Kim Yo Jong denied Seoul’s reports of a partial dismantling of sound equipment along the border. According to her, the installations “have never been removed and will not be removed.” She stressed that the DPRK has no intention of improving relations with the Republic of Korea, and this approach may be enshrined in the country’s constitution in the future.
Earlier, the South Korean military claimed that the North had removed some of its loudspeakers a few days after Seoul removed some of its own. Kim Yo Jong called these statements “baseless speculation and a diversionary tactic.”
South Korea alternates propaganda with K-pop in its broadcasts, while the DPRK responds with alarming sounds, including animal cries. Residents of border areas complain about the noise, which disturbs them even at night.
Pyongyang considers such broadcasts an act of war and has previously threatened to destroy the loudspeakers. South Korean broadcasts resumed in June 2024 after a six-year hiatus under ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol in response to the DPRK’s launch of “trash” balloons. Under the new leader, Lee Jae-myung, who advocated rapprochement, broadcasting was again suspended in the interests of “restoring trust” and “peace on the Korean peninsula.”
However, tensions remain high. This week, North Korea threatened a “strong response” to upcoming joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.
