North Korea Staunchly Denies Claims of Dismantling Border Propaganda Speakers

North Korea's Kim Yo Jong has refuted claims made by South Korea regarding the removal of propaganda loudspeakers along their shared border, insisting that North Korea has "never removed" them, and remains resistant to improving inter-Korean relations.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, firmly denied South Korea's claims of dismantling propaganda loudspeakers positioned along their border. North Korea asserted that it "has never removed" these speakers and has no intention of doing so. In a statement released by state media KCNA, Kim Yo Jong emphasized that their position on South Korea is clear, stating, "We have clarified on several occasions that we have no will to improve relations with [South Korea]," adding that this stance will be incorporated into their constitution in the future.

Earlier this week, South Korea's military suggested that some North Korean loudspeakers had been taken down - this announcement followed shortly after South Korea decided to dismantle portions of its own speaker system. Kim Yo Jong, serving as deputy director of North Korea's propaganda department, labeled Seoul's assertion as an "unfounded unilateral supposition and a red herring."

Typically, North Korea's broadcasts include disturbing sounds and messages while South Korea often plays popular K-pop songs in a bid to engage North Korean citizens. Residents in border areas have expressed concerns about the disruptive noise generated by both nations, sometimes even occurring late at night.

North Korea perceives South Korean propaganda broadcasts as acts of war, having previously threatened to destroy such speakers. South Korea's propaganda efforts resumed in June 2024 after a six-year hiatus under the presidency of Yoon Suk Yeol, who adopted a more stringent approach towards the North. This revival of broadcasting followed North Korea's balloon campaigns that sent trash into South Korea amidst rising tensions.

Previously, under new President Lee Jae Myung, who championed improved relationships with North Korea, South Korea ceased its broadcasts along the demilitarized zone in hopes of "restoring trust" and achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula. However, despite these efforts, relations between the two nations remain fraught, with North Korea recently warning that it would take "resolute counteraction" in response to supposed provocations amidst upcoming joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.