North Korea switches loudspeakers: Hope for peace is growing!

North Korea switches loudspeakers: Hope for peace is growing!

Siam-ri, Südkorea - On June 12, 2025, the North Korean military turned its loudspeaker systems on the inner Korean border. According to a report by the South Korean General Stab, there was no longer a sound system in the demarcation zone on Thursday. This measure is interpreted as a mutual relaxation measure in North Korea in order to defuse the conflict. The South Korean military had already mined its own propaganda speakers in the border area on Wednesday. The intensive sound system was part of the psychological warfare between North and South Korea and brought particularly inconvenience to the residents and soldiers in the highly militarized border area.

In the South Korean village of Siam-Ri, for example, around 100 people lived from the nightly noise that was generated by North Korean speakers. The noises, described as sirens, scraping under tones, dog bikes and duck quakes, led to health problems, alcohol abuse and taking sleeping pills in some villagers. Many demand that South Korea switch off the last loudspeakers to end this noise. The noise terror had started in early summer 2024 when North Korea sent balloons with garbage to the south, which triggered a mutual reaction in the form of loudspeaker announcements and Korean pop music.

political realignment in South Korea

The new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced a more diplomatic course in North Korea policy after taking office. He commissioned the military to switch off the propaganda speakers at the border in order to defuse the conflict and to restore trust. This decision was made just a week after taking office and is contrary to his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, who pursued a policy of strength towards North Korea.

Under Yoon there was an intensive propaganda war, in which South Korea reactivated speakers that also played pop music. For his part, North Korea reacted with its own speakers that played disturbing noises towards South Korea. In recent years, tensions on the Korean Peninsula have risen, not least because of the modernization of North Korea's rocket and nuclear programs as well as its military cooperation with Russia, at the North Korea ammunition and soldiers for the Ukraine War. In return, it is assumed that North Korea has received military technology from Russia.

effects on the security situation

The risk of war on the inner Korean border is currently as high as it has not been in decades. Formally, North and South Korea are still in the state of war, since the Korean War (1950-1953) only ended with an armistice and no peace treaty was signed. South Korea is under pressure in view of the provocative attitude of North Korea and has taken care of the developments. While the residents in Siam-Ri suffered from the noise, South Korea observes the situation with concern and calls for a reserved reaction to the provocations from the north.

Lee Jae Myung emphasized that South Korea will ward off provocations and at the same time are looking for dialogue with North Korea. The politician has also actively called up that activists no longer send leaflets to North Korea to further reduce the tensions. So far, however, North Korea has not yet responded to this new diplomatic course in South Korea.

Tagesspiegel reports that this development brings hope of a relaxation between the two countries and concerns with regard to the ongoing military threats. The focus is now on how the situation will develop and whether North Korea will actually go into the diplomatic efforts of South Korea.

Additional information about the current state of the situation at the border can be read in the report of the Tagesschau . A summary of the loudspeaker propaganda and its effects is available in another article by the Tagesschau