[3rd Report] North Korea Dismantles South Korea Loudspeakers in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province

Soldiers of the Gyohwa Outpost, Gyohwa Platoon, 9th Army Division, are dismantling a fixed loudspeaker aimed at North Korea installed within the civilian control zone in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, as the first step in the follow-up measures to the Panmunjom Declaration on May 1, 2018. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] It has been confirmed that North Korea is dismantling the loudspeaker broadcasting facilities aimed at South Korea, which were reinstalled in the frontline area, just three days after installation.

On the 24th, a military official stated, "North Korea is dismantling about 10 loudspeakers aimed at South Korea that were reinstalled in some frontline areas near the Peace Observatory in Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon Province."

North Korea began reinstalling loudspeaker broadcasting facilities aimed at South Korea in about 20 locations in the frontline area starting from the afternoon of the 21st. This work marked the reinstallation of loudspeaker facilities that had been dismantled following the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration after more than two years, leading to expectations that broadcasting activities such as slander and propaganda would intensify around the DMZ. However, as North Korea started dismantling these facilities just days after installation, it is expected that the remaining approximately 10 locations will also undergo dismantling.

This move is presumed to be related to the directive from Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, reported by North Korean media on the morning of the same day, ordering the "suspension of military actions against the South" on the 23rd. The Korean Central News Agency reported, "At the preliminary meeting held on the 23rd, the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea assessed the recent situation and suspended the military action plans against the South proposed by the General Staff of the Korean People's Army at the 7th Central Military Commission's 5th meeting."

South and North Korea dismantled the loudspeakers aimed at South Korea installed in the frontline area on May 1, 2018. At that time, the dismantling of the loudspeaker broadcasting facilities was regarded as the first implementation case of the historic Panmunjom Declaration signed by President Moon Jae-in and North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un. The April 27 Panmunjom Declaration states, "From May 1, all hostile acts including loudspeaker broadcasting and leaflet distribution around the Military Demarcation Line will cease, and the means will be dismantled, thereby making the Demilitarized Zone a practical peace zone going forward."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.