Broadcast was ceased in 2004, to be reinstated following mine incident from last week
South Korean Ministry of Defense has announced plans to use propaganda loudspeakers near Paju as a measure against North Korea’s recent mine attack that seriously injured two of South Korean service members.
“South Korean government will react with a corresponding measure as the North Korean Army committed unspeakable sabotage against ours,” said the ROK MND authority during an interview with the Hankyung newspaper. “We decided to start the propaganda loudspeakers near the front line starting 5 pm today.”On August 4, two ROK services members were injured by PMD mines, or wooden case mines, which are assumed to have been planted by the North Korean military.
Following an investigation by the ROK MND and United Nations Command and the Military Armistice Commission, the ministry said it has been clarified that North Korean army illegally invaded the Military Demarcation Line and planted the PMD mines with intent to harm South Korean troops.
The ROK military has formally insisted that North Korea apologize and punish those responsible.
The use of propaganda loudspeakers has ceased in June 2004, when President Roh Moo-hyun and the North agreed to remove all propaganda loudspeakers from both sides of the DMZ. In 2010, President Lee Myung-bak planned to reinstall the speakers in reaction to the sinking of Cheonan vessel, which the South Korean government and international investigation concluded was carried out by the North. The plan to reinstall the speakers did not materialize, as North Korea furiously swore to “directly aim and fire” at the speakers should they be reinstalled.
Installing and maintaining such propaganda speakers or similar tools are very money consuming. In 2010, ROK MND had planned to play high definition music videos of South Korean female pop groups such as Girls Generations, Kara and the Wonder Girls to demoralize North Korean soldiers by showing the “rich” culture of South Korea. The estimated cost of each monitor would have been $120,000 or more.
The ministry has not announced what material will be broadcast over the loud speakers or how long the broadcast will last. – NK News
