Military Begins Dismantling Loudspeakers Toward North Korea as Tension-Easing Measure

Some Argue That the Rationale Behind Reducing US Forces Korea Is Strategy, Not Cost

On August 4, the South Korean military began dismantling loudspeakers along the Military Demarcation Line that had been used for broadcasts toward North Korea. This follows the preemptive and complete suspension of loudspeaker broadcasts toward the North on June 11, and now the military has moved to remove the loudspeakers themselves, which are part of the infrastructure.

The Ministry of National Defense explained that this is "a practical measure to help ease tensions between South and North Korea, implemented within a scope that does not affect the military's readiness posture." Loudspeakers targeting North Korea had previously been dismantled in May 2018 during the Moon Jae-in administration.

This action was taken in accordance with the agreement reached in the "Panmunjom Declaration" at that time, in which both Koreas agreed to "cease all hostile acts, including loudspeaker broadcasts and leaflet distribution, and remove the means for such acts in the areas around the Military Demarcation Line starting from May 1, and to turn the Demilitarized Zone into a practical peace zone."

However, during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea were resumed in June of last year.

Meanwhile, there has been a claim from within the United States that the background for the argument to reduce US Forces Korea is not 'cost' but rather a 'strategic shift.' According to the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), principal research fellow Boo Hyungwook stated in his report "A Brief Review of the Argument for Reducing US Forces Korea" that "it should be considered whether the US is adopting a 'feint' strategy with the defense cost-sharing issue."

The US think tank Defense Priorities has pointed out that US Forces Korea are physically too close to Chinese forces and are not dispersed, making their survivability vulnerable. Boo further stated, "Since the purpose of reducing US Forces Korea is strategic rather than cost-related, we may be able to take a more aggressive approach in future negotiations over defense cost-sharing."