North and South Korea are turning down the volume on their fiery rhetoric toward each other
- North and South Korea operate propaganda loudspeakers along the Demilitarized Zone.
- In the last few months, broadcasts have softened in both tone and volume.
- South Korea is playing less aggressive content and focusing on broadcasting more content about a unified Korea.
While all eyes are on Pyeongchang for the Winter Olympics, inter-Korean politics are dramatically shifting at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
The DMZ is a strip of land that acts as a buffer between North and South Korea. It contains shared, multi-purpose buildings and is also one of the world's busiest regions for radio broadcasts thanks to loudspeakers on both sides of the border.
North Korea uses the loudspeakers to blare propaganda, and over the years, South Korea has broadcasted news, weather, K-pop music, and even defections. The speakers play 20 hours a day.
North Korea tends to blast strong condemnations of Seoul and its allies.
But last week, Reuters reported North Korea turned down the volume of its broadcasts after the Olympics opening ceremony.
"I still hear it, but it is much less than before," A South Korean military official stationed at the border told Reuters.
Meanwhile, South Korea began lengthening its news broadcasts from two to five minutes, to deliver news that's less threatening to North Korea, reported Korea Times. This included joint Korea appearances at the games, such as the opening ceremony and the women's ice hockey team, as well as performances by the North's art troupe, and an invitation for South Korean president Moon Jae In to visit Pyongyang.
The overall activation time of South Korea's 30 loudspeakers was not extended, meaning anti-Pyongyang broadcasts were shortened as a consequence.
The softer approach began in 2017
On Thursday, lawmakers confirmed South Korea instructed the military's psychological warfare unit to stop using the name of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in broadcasts.
According to Yonhap, the order was given by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to not use Kim's name in negative broadcasts so as to prevent hostility by North Koreans.
Instead, the broadcasts began focusing on the high costs of Pyongyang's missile tests and the luxurious lives of the North's elite.
While loudspeaker diplomacy seems unusual, it does work.
North Korea has indicated the broadcasts successfully demoralize its troops and several defectors listened before attempting an escape. One man who defected in 2017 said he became "enamored" with South Korea from listening to the loudspeakers.
The broadcasting began shortly after the Korean War but, according to The Diplomat, South Korea's system went unused for 11 years. It was used briefly in August 2015 after North Korea injured two South Korean soldiers and was fully reinstated in January 2016 after North Korea's fourth nuclear test.
South Korea's loudspeakers are reportedly loud enough to be heard up to 20 kilometers, or about 12 miles, inside North Korea.