Overture from new president Lee Jae Myung is latest effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang that stalled under his predecessor
South Korean authorities have begun removing loudspeakers that blare propaganda broadcasts along its border with the North, Seoul’s defence ministry said on Monday, as the new government of President Lee Jae Myung seeks to ease tensions with Pyongyang.
South Korea’s dismantling of the loudspeakers was a “practical measure that can help ease inter-Korean tensions without affecting the military’s readiness posture,” the ministry said in a statement.
Lee Kyung-ho, a spokesperson for the ministry, didn’t share specific details on whether the speakers could be quickly redeployed to the border if tensions flared again. There were no discussions between the two militaries ahead of the decision, Lee said during a briefing.
North Korea, which is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of its authoritarian leadership and its third-generation ruler, Kim Jong-un, didn’t immediately comment.
