Garbage balloons are one thing, but sleepless nights due to noise are another.
Relations between North and South Korea have deteriorated further in recent months. The tension escalated last summer, when South Korea faced a barrage of garbage-filled balloons. South Korea retaliated with drones and propaganda, prompting North Korea to amend its constitution, officially designating South Korea as a “hostile state.” The most recent attack is noise, a lot of noise.
Sound bombardment. According to The New York Times, North Korea has implemented a new strategy in its psychological warfare against South Korea: broadcasting unbearable sounds 24 hours a day in border areas.
The sounds, described by residents as metallic, menacing, and reminiscent of horror movies, have replaced traditional propaganda broadcasts and are intended to destabilize communities in the South. Residents of the South Korean town of Dangsan, just 0.6 miles away from the North, report experiencing insomnia, headaches, and anxiety due to the persistent noise.
The evolution of a historical tactic. Using noise to provoke a neighbor isn’t new in Korea. These types of border broadcasts have been recurring since the 1960s, though the approach has evolved.
While the two countries once exchanged insults and political propaganda, North Korea now employs what experts describe as “dehumanizing and disturbing” sounds. The shift appears aimed at pressuring South Korea to halt its own propaganda broadcasts, including K-pop music and news, which Seoul resumed in 2024 after a six-year hiatus.
A complicated relationship. Although tensions between the Koreas are at their lowest point in years, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has adopted an aggressive posture, closing off any possibility of dialogue with the South and strengthening ties with Russia.
Not only that, but Kim has also declared South Korea an enemy in the event of war, codifying it in the country’s constitution. For his part, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has stepped up military exercises with the U.S. and Japan. Additionally, the South is encouraging the spread of information to the North to weaken Kim’s totalitarian control.
The impact of noise. The Times reported that residents of Dangsan, a farming community of 354 people, mainly over the age of 60, have seen their daily lives disrupted since the noise began. Windows now stay shut, children no longer play outside, and some animals, such as chickens and goats, have experienced health problems.
The culprit is clear: Residents blame the noise for the decline in their quality of life and criticize the lack of government support, calling official responses—such as the provision of double-glazed windows—inadequate.
A two-way struggle. The rising tensions are not one-sided. In response to the propaganda balloons sent by North Korean defectors in the South, North Korea has launched balloons filled with garbage, prompting the South to respond with drones.
North Korea has also destroyed infrastructure linking the two countries and jammed GPS signals near the border, disrupting South Korean air and sea traffic. These actions highlight a growing policy of retaliation that has intensified hostility in the region.
No solution in sight. As things stand, an armistice seems more distant than ever. While Dangsan residents are urging the Yoon government to stop its own broadcasts to ease tensions, authorities have yet to devise a concrete plan to resolve the issue.
The situation reflects the sacrifice made by border communities, whose welfare is secondary to the political rivalry between Seoul and Pyongyang. Experts suggest reviving earlier verbal non-aggression agreements between the two Koreas, but the prospects for constructive dialogue in the current climate appear extremely remote.
Image | Trump White House Archive | FirsPost
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