Loudspeaker propaganda ends

Demilitarized Zone, Koreas

For the first time since the end of the Korean War, North and South Korea have ended the loudspeaker broadcasts that they aimed at each other across the Demilitarized Zone, which separates the two countries. Since 1953, North Koreans have blared martial music and praise of their national leaders, while South Koreans have responded with popular tunes and lectures about democracy. This week, the loudspeakers were dismantled as part of an agreement to reduce tensions on the border. The final North Korean broadcast announced that North and South Koreans were “from one blood and spoke one language,” and could “no longer live separated.” It also took a swipe at the U.S., which it called “the root cause of the suffering and misfortune that our people are experiencing.”

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