South Korea to restart loudspeaker broadcasts into North Korea

In response to Pyongyang’s plan of sending garbage-filled bubbles across the border, South Korea has announced it will continue advertising channels against North Korea for the first time in six times.

Over 300 Northern Korean kites were discovered over the weekend and Sunday, with about 80 making landings in the South while bringing in plastic and waste paper.

North Korea has not yet responded to the news, but Pyongyang views the loudspeaker advertising channels as an act of war and has previously threatened to blow them up.

Last month North Korea appeared to send at least 200 balloons carrying rubbish over the border in retaliation for propaganda leaflets sent from the south.

North Korea resumed its waste-control initiative over the weekend by flying garbage-carrying bubbles over the boundary to South Korea.

According to the AFP news agency, protesters in the South sent 10 balloons containing leaflets criticizing the North Korean government as retribution on Friday.

The North Korean government claimed that no hazardous materials have been discovered despite the fact that there are no more bubbles in the air.

It has cautioned people to avoid touching the bubbles and be wary of falling objects.

According to the military, the general public is asked to report any observations to the police or military system that is closest.

South Korea’s National Security Council announced that loudspeaker channels on the border would continue on Sunday after agreeing to resume the headphones for the first time since 2018, following the most recent batch of bubbles.

A South Korean advocate group reported on Thursday that it had flown kites into North Korea carrying flyers criticizing Kim Jong Un, dollar bills, and USB pieces with K-pop music videos, which are prohibited in the North.

In recent years, the channels have included information on politics and existence in South Korea as well as information from both Koreas and internationally.

The South Korean military claims the broadcasts can be heard as much as 10km ( 6.2 miles ) across the border in the day and up to 24km ( 15 miles ) at night.

A South Korean-based advocate group claimed in May that it had crossed the border with 20 balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang flyers and USB stones containing Korean pop music and music videos.

Seoul’s parliament passed a law in December 2020 that criminalises the launch of anti-Pyongyang leaflets, but critics have raised concerns related to freedom of speech and human rights.

North Korea has also launched kites southward in an effort to attack Seoul’s officials.

In one such launch in 2016, the balloons reportedly carried toilet paper, cigarette butts and rubbish. Seoul police described them as “hazardous biochemical substances”.

Jake Kwon provided extra monitoring in Seoul.