Incheon City has taken steps to prepare support measures for residents of Ganghwa-gun who are experiencing significant inconvenience in their daily lives due to noise from North Korea's loudspeakers aimed at South Korea.
On the 20th, the city announced that it plans to identify preventive projects to minimize residents' damage and propose to the government the establishment of grounds for compensating noise damage.
The city plans to inspect livestock farms within the noise impact zone for the potential of causing livestock diseases.
Additionally, it will propose to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of National Defense measures to minimize residents' damage and establish grounds for compensation for noise damage. Furthermore, it plans to request the transmission of white noise to offset North Korea's broadcasts aimed at the South.
According to the city, among approximately 8,800 residents in three townships of Ganghwa-gun?Songhae, Yangsa, and Gyodong?about 4,600 people, or roughly 52%, have reported noise damage.
In the affected areas, bizarre noises such as sirens and sounds of drums and janggu (traditional Korean drums) are repeatedly transmitted and stopped 24 hours a day. The noise level ranges from the sound of a telephone ringing to the maximum noise level of a subway. Because of this, local residents are complaining of accumulated stress from the noise, lack of sleep, and seizures in infants and young children.
On the 18th, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok visited the Songhae-myeon area of Ganghwa-gun and said, "After directly listening to the loudspeaker broadcasts aimed at the South, I was able to confirm the significant damage residents are experiencing," and promised, "We will do our best to prepare measures to prevent the damage from continuing."
Earlier, since the end of July, North Korean troops have been transmitting unidentified noise through loudspeakers aimed at the South in the frontline area in response to South Korea's loudspeaker broadcasts aimed at the North.
Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok visited the noise broadcasting site at Daenam, Dangsan-ri, Songhae-myeon, Ganghwa-gun on the 18th, received a status report from military officials, and checked the damage situation of residents. September 18, 2024. [Photo by Incheon City]
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