South Korea takes action against garbage-carrying balloons with loudspeakers.
Since late May, North Korea has been regularly sending garbage-filled balloons across the border into South Korea. As a response, the South is now considering using loudspeakers along the border to broadcast messages. This strategy of psychological warfare has been attempted before.
Following the discovery of numerous balloons carrying garbage from North Korea, the South's National Security Council has decided to utilize speaker systems to transmit sounds towards the north. During previous instances, South Korea reportedly blasted news and K-Pop music at such loud volumes that they could be heard from up to 20 kilometers away.
"The methods we employ may be intolerable for the North Korean regime, but they will help send a message of hope and light to the soldiers and people of the North," the Council declared. This decision was made after several balloons carrying trash were discovered in Seoul and the border region.
The sourcing of these balloons was justified by Pyongyang as payback for South Korean activists, who launched their own balloons containing leaflets criticizing Kim Jong Un and dollar bills, as well as USB sticks with K-Pop videos and dramas.
The utilization of loudspeakers in this situation is a form of psychological warfare. Just a few years ago, in 2018, South Korea ceased using this method after reaching a deal with North Korea aiming to reduce tension between the two countries. Unfortunately, that agreement is virtually null and void now, as North Korea continues its missile development program and designates South Korea as their "number one enemy."
