"Every Night Ghost Sounds... Unable to Sleep" Border Residents Suffer from North Korea's Anti-South Broadcasts

Residents near the civilian control line (CCL) in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, the northernmost border area, are complaining of damage due to North Korea's loudspeaker noise broadcasts targeting South Korea, which have continued for three weeks.

On the 21st, Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly, along with Democratic Party lawmakers Yoon Hu-deok and Park Jung, and Paju Mayor Kim Kyung-il attended the 'Meeting with Residents of Paju Border Area Regarding Damage from Loudspeaker Noise Broadcasts and North Korean Leaflet Distribution' held in Tongil Village, Paju.

At the meeting, residents expressed their suffering caused by the loudspeaker broadcasts. One resident said, "At first, I thought war had broken out when I heard the broadcasts targeting South Korea," adding, "At night, I even hear ghost sounds like those from the TV show 'Jeonseol-ui Gohyang' (Legendary Homeland), so I can't sleep. Is it a crime to live in a border area?"

After listening to an actual recording of the loudspeaker broadcast, Speaker Woo said, "It seems the damage experienced by residents in border areas including Paju is very severe," and added, "They have had to listen to loudspeaker broadcasts coming from both North and South for three months now, so their hardship is beyond words." He expressed deep sympathy, saying, "I deeply empathize with the great pain and anxiety of residents in the border areas," and pledged, "The National Assembly will spare no effort to resolve the issue of loudspeaker noise broadcasts."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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Currently, the northernmost border area is at a peak of tension due to North Korea's loudspeaker noise broadcasts targeting South Korea, which have continued since the end of last month, as well as North Korea's release of balloons carrying waste. According to residents, the recent broadcasts include bizarre noises such as female laughter, cries of animals like foxes, wild dogs, and crows, and the sound of scraping metal lumps.

Similar complaints were voiced at a residents' meeting held on the 18th in the mobile mayor's office in Paju. One resident said, "I have listened to many loudspeaker broadcasts targeting South Korea over the past 40 years, but this is the loudest and most painful one I have ever heard."

Mayor Kim said, "Citizens' anxiety and suffering are growing, and this is a serious situation where life and safety are threatened," adding, "We will make full use of the local government authority granted by the designation of danger zones and actively crack down on and detect acts of leaflet distribution targeting North Korea."

On the 16th, Gyeonggi Province designated Paju, Yeoncheon, and Gimpo as danger zones related to the distribution of leaflets targeting North Korea, stating that "the possibility of North Korean shelling cannot be ruled out when leaflets are distributed."

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