South Korea Halts K‑Pop and Propaganda Loudspeaker Broadcasts at North Korean Border

South Korea’s military has ceased its loudspeaker broadcasts—including K‑Pop music and anti-North Korea messaging—along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), following President Lee Jae‑myung’s election pledge to ease tensions with North Korea.

The broadcasts, reinstated in July 2024 in response to North Korea’s trash-laden balloon campaign, had served as a symbolic countermeasure. But they proved controversial for residents near the DMZ, who complained of constant noise disturbances.

President Lee’s spokesperson, Kang Yu‑jung, described the suspension as a “proactive step” to rebuild mutual trust and reduce military friction on the peninsula. “Now it is North Korea’s turn to respond,” lawmaker Kim Byung‑joo commented.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry confirmed the broadcasts had included popular music like K‑Pop, messages promoting democracy, and critiques of the North. These aimed to counterbalance North Korean propaganda, which also utilized loudspeakers near the border.

Shortly after South Korea’s suspension, North Korea’s military reportedly switched off its own loudspeaker operations on June 12, signaling a potential reciprocal gesture.

President Lee, inaugurated just days earlier, also intends to restore suspended military cooperation and open communication channels—a shift from the previous administration’s harsher posture.

The DMZ loudspeaker campaigns, known as the “Korean Loudspeaker War,” date back to the 1950s and have been activated in response to provocations, most recently North Korean trash balloons sent in 2023–24.