World | February 04, 2024
Propaganda speakers turned off at the border between North and South Korea – a sign of hope for the future?
North Korea and South Korea have been broadcasting propaganda across the border towards each other, on and off, since the Korean War in the 50s. But following talks between North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un and South Korea’s leader President Moon Jae-in, these broadcasts have stopped. John Choi*, a North Korean refugee now living in the UK, says, “Hopefully, the time has come for an opportunity to stop it permanently. Would you please pray more for two the Koreas?”
Following the historic meeting between North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and South Korea’s leader President Moon Jae-in at the end of April, one of their agreements was that propaganda broadcasts between the two countries would be stopped permanently.
North Korea and South Korea have been broadcasting propaganda across the border towards each other, on and off, since the Korean War in the 50s, but both nations turned off the loudspeakers lining the border ahead of the meeting of the two leaders. With broadcasts ceasing permanently, they intend to change the name of the border area, previously known as the DMZ (demilitarised zone), to the ‘peace zone’.
What do these loudspeakers usually play? John Choi*, a North Korean refugee living in the UK, told Open Doors, “South Korea has dozens of loudspeakers alongside the border, which blast everything from the cultural influence of K-pop music to weather and news reports critical of North Korea. North Korea too, has its own system of speakers alongside the DMZ, playing reports critical of the South and the US directly.”
And why were these broadcasts carried out? John says, “The idea was to persuade the soldiers from each side to doubt what they are ideologically taught by their sides. The loudspeakers are typically aimed at border soldiers, disturb their sleep, and try to manipulate soldiers to believe the other side’s life is much better.”
He continues: “Sometimes the South’s loudspeakers are left on all day and night so it actually damages the North Korean soldiers’ morale - they can’t sleep because of it and all day they are exhausted. North Korea is actually concerned about the psychological impact of these broadcasts. Although the North Korean side’s broadcasts carry its characteristically strident condemnation of Seoul and allies, its bad quality sound makes it difficult to hear.
“I remember a guy in North Korea, who served for thirteen years in the DMZ area. He said that the voice came from the South Korean loudspeaker almost killed their morale, especially during the early morning. In the early hours of the morning, you get cold and hungry, and all they could hear was the voice from South Korea saying, ‘Why do you serve your country even though your government doesn’t provide for you? What do you get? Come to us, we have warmth and nice food for you.’
“I asked him, ‘Did you get frustrated when you heard the South’s loudspeaker?’ He said, ‘No, because he had no energy to be getting upset early in the morning. Sometimes we had even exchanged cigarettes with South Korean guards during the patrolling time.’”
Have the speakers ever been turned off before? John tells us, “The use of the loudspeakers has been increased and decreased over the years, depending on the diplomatic mood on the peninsula. The broadcasts were stopped in 2004 as part of a deal that negotiated for both Koreas. Also, before August 2015, the loudspeakers had been turned off for almost two years under a negotiated deal. However, in 2015, when two South Korean soldiers were critically injured by the North’s planted landmines in the DMZ, the South turned its speakers back on. The broadcasts were stopped again in 2015 but re-engaged in 2016 in response to North Korea testing a hydrogen bomb.”
John continues, “Hopefully, the time has come for an opportunity to stop it permanently. Would you please pray more for the two Koreas?”
Despite the extreme persecution faced by the thousands of Christians in North Korea, their vision for the future is that North and South Korea will be reunited again. One underground church leader told us, “One day our country will be opened and reunited with South Korea. Then the North Korean and South Korean church will work together with our Chinese brothers and sisters to evangelise Asia.”
As relations between North and South Korea appear to improve, pray that they will help to bring that dream one step closer to being a reality.
*name changed for security reasons
Stand with your church family in North Korea
North Korea is the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian, and ranks at number one on the 2018 World Watch List, Open Doors’ ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. Despite this, Open Doors estimates that there are between 200,000 and 400,000 Christians in North Korea, who either follow Jesus in complete secret, or are imprisoned in horrific labour camps.
Here are three ways that you can support your church family in North Korea:
- Pray, and ask others to pray too. Why not order a free 2019 World Watch List Church Pack, and introduce your local church to their persecuted church family?
- Give. Open Doors secret workers are able to reach 60,000 believers in North Korea with food, clothes and medicines, as well as smuggling illegal Bibles into the country. Every £58 can provide food, medicine and clothes to support a North Korean family for a month.
- Bring your friends to Standing Strong. Come and hear a believer from North Korea tell her incredible story, alongside speakers from Nigeria and Syria and stand with them in prayer and worship. Book your tickets today!
