S. Korea Dismantles Loudspeakers Along Border

(Yonhap) -- The South Korean military on Monday (4) started removing loudspeakers for propaganda broadcasts installed along the border with North Korea in a move aimed at reducing inter-Korean tensions, the defense ministry said.

The move comes less than two months after President Lee Jae Myung ordered the suspension of loudspeaker broadcasts in front-line areas on June 11 as part of efforts to mend strained ties with the North.

"It is a practical measure that can help ease inter-Korean tensions without affecting the military's readiness posture," the ministry said in a notice to reporters.

In response to Pyongyang's repeated launch of trash-carrying balloons across the heavily fortified border, South Korea had resumed the loudspeaker campaign for the first time in six years in June last year after conducting it on an on-and-off basis following North Korea's fourth nuclear test in 2016.