North Korea is reportedly broadcasting disruptive noises, resembling the sound of metal scraping and grinding, through loudspeakers near the border. This has raised concerns that it may be a new form of provocation, following previous incidents of sending trash-laden balloons across the border.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on September 11, the noise attacks began in late July in areas near Ganghwa County, Incheon. Local residents in these border regions have been subjected to constant loud noises, described as resembling the screeching of metal or the cries of living creatures, for 24 hours a day.
In particular, the noise levels have intensified over the past week, leading to severe stress among the residents, who have called on the government to take immediate action.
In Dangsan-ri, Songhae-myeon, one of the hardest-hit areas, approximately 150 households are unable to open their windows due to the overwhelming noise. Families with young children report that their babies are startled and cry incessantly, making daily life unbearable.
Lee Man-ho, a 63-year-old local leader in Dangsan-ri, expressed his frustration to the Kyungin Ilbo, saying, “We are tormented daily by these bizarre noises, like metal being scraped. It has now reached a point where residents can no longer tolerate it. Urgent protective measures are needed for the community.”
The noise continues around the clock, with intervals of 3 to 5 hours of relentless sound followed by brief pauses lasting 10 to 20 minutes.
South Korean military authorities are investigating the possibility that North Korea’s noise attacks are in retaliation to South Korea’s resumed loudspeaker broadcasts across the border, which began in July.
Last month, a North Korean soldier defected to South Korea by walking across the border in Goseong, Gangwon Province, after reportedly being influenced by these broadcasts. North Korea may be using these noise attacks as a countermeasure to the loudspeaker broadcasts, which are highly sensitive for the regime.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
