North, South Korea begin dismantling border loudspeakers

North and South Korea on Tuesday began dismantling propaganda speakers along their border as part of an agreement between the leaders of two countries during a historical summit last month.

South Korean officials removed the loudspeakers it had installed in Paju to wage psychological warfare on the North, Efe news reported.

Seoul had decided to halt its propaganda broadcasts, containing messages and news against the North Korean regime as well as K-pop music, as a conciliatory gesture in the run-up to the summit.

South Korea had speakers installed at around 40 points in the demilitarised zone between the two Koreas.

North Korea, too, has begun to remove its loudspeakers, said South Korean defence officials.

During the summit on April 27, Seoul and Pyongyang had agreed to put an end to all hostile acts, which included these propaganda speakers, which could be heard - in case of those in the South - from a distance of 10 to 25 km from the border.

Although in 2015 both parties agreed to stop using the speakers, Seoul reactivated them on several occasions in response to Pyongyang's nuclear tests.

--IANS

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