South Korea began dismantling loudspeakers along its border with North Korea on Monday, part of a broader effort to ease tensions between the two countries.
The Defense Ministry said the removal is a practical measure aimed at reducing friction without compromising military readiness. The loudspeakers had been used to broadcast propaganda and music, including K-pop, toward the North since last year.
In June, President Lee Jae Myung ordered a halt to the broadcasts in an effort to rebuild trust and lower tensions. North Korea also ceased its own loudspeaker transmissions.
The two Koreas have a history of using border loudspeakers to provoke one another, particularly along the demilitarized zone that separates them.