At the closely guarded border between North and South Korea, the rivals who haven’t had any meaningful negotiations in years—the odd, cold war-style tactics continue day after day. North Korea has been launching hundreds of balloons carrying garbage and even excrement towards South Korea since last month. In response, South Korea resumed what is known as a propaganda broadcast. On June 9, KST, South Korea re-deployed massive loudspeakers along the border with the North to broadcast anti-North Korean propaganda. As per South Korean media reports, the broadcast featured BTS’ smash songs Butter and Dynamite.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, expressed her disapproval of the propaganda programme by saying that it might potentially lead to a “crisis of confrontation.”
South Korean media outlet Koreaboo quoted her as saying, “This is a prelude to a very dangerous situation.”
Professor Leif-Eric Easley of Seoul’s Ewha University told ABC News that both Koreas are currently attempting to exert pressure and dissuade one another by “politically symbolic actions.”
Easley stated that tensions at the border run the risk of escalating into unintentional war since no party wants to be perceived as giving up. As for South Korea, its decision to redeploy the large speaker on Sunday can be interpreted as a return of its anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts.
Along with BTS songs, they reportedly broadcasted news on Samsung, the largest South Korean firm, weather predictions and external criticism of the North’s missile programme and its censorship of outside media. The event, according to the Washington Times, took place in Seoul’s picturesque neighbourhood of Buahm Dong, which is enclosed by mountains.
Less than one mile separates Buam Dong from Gwanghwamun, Seoul’s busy city centre and the location of the US Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On the other hand, this past weekend saw the beginning of North Korea’s “filth balloon” onslaught. Up to 330 are claimed to have launched, but only 80 have been reported to have landed in the South due to shifting wind patterns.
The bombardment appears to be a reaction to balloons that South Korean activists, some of whom are defectors from North Korea, sent into the North.
In order to entice North Korean residents to pick them up, the balloons are laden with anti-regime propaganda and USB drives are filled with K-pop songs, used toilet paper, K-dramas and occasionally, US currency. Even though the southern balloons were allegedly launched by private-sector entities rather than the government, Seoul “formally” entered the retaliatory arena this week.
The primary Chosun Ilbo daily said that the military broadcasts, known as Voice of Freedom, opened with the South’s national anthem and a clarification of why Seoul was resuming its propaganda operations. The Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA), a bilateral mechanism for reducing tension, was signed in 2018 amid an easing of cross-border tensions and a pro-engagement government in Seoul.
Both sides have since accused each other of violating CMA guidelines and Seoul’s National Security Council then announced the agreement’s official suspension.
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