North Korea has firmly denied South Korea’s claims that it removed some of its propaganda loudspeakers along the border. In a statement released on Thursday, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, categorically rejected the allegations, stating that North Korea has “never removed” the loudspeakers and “is not willing to remove them.”
The remarks came in response to South Korea’s military, which had earlier reported the dismantling of several loudspeakers along the border. This action by Seoul occurred just days after the South had halted some of its own broadcasts, which included K-pop songs, while North Korea’s speakers blared unsettling noises and propaganda.
Kim Yo Jong, who serves as the deputy director of North Korea’s propaganda department, dismissed the South Korean report as “an unfounded unilateral supposition.” She further emphasized that North Korea’s stance towards South Korea would be enshrined in its constitution, making clear that there is no intent to improve relations with the South.
The loudspeakers have been a source of tension between the two countries for years. North Korea views South Korea’s broadcasts as a provocative act, going as far as to threaten the destruction of these speakers in the past. The broadcasts, which resumed in June 2024 after a six-year hiatus, are part of South Korea’s hardline approach under President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration, who has taken a tough stance on North Korea.
The relationship between North and South Korea has seen moments of tension and thawing in recent years. Under President Lee Jae Myung, South Korea paused its broadcasts in an effort to restore trust and pursue peace on the Korean Peninsula. However, despite these efforts, tensions remain, with North Korea issuing threats of “resolute counteraction” ahead of joint military drills between South Korea and the US.
The future of inter-Korean relations remains uncertain, with both sides continuing to engage in a war of words while attempting to navigate the complexities of diplomatic engagement amidst growing geopolitical tensions.
