Residents of a South Korean village near the North Korean border have reported experiencing a series of disturbing noises, described as a relentless barrage of sounds reminiscent of a giant gong, wolves howling, and even artillery fire. This phenomenon, referred to by locals as "noise bombing," has left many feeling exhausted and unable to sleep.
Since July, North Korea has intensified its use of loudspeakers along the border, broadcasting these unsettling noises for up to 24 hours a day. This new form of psychological warfare has aggravated villagers more than previous propaganda broadcasts, coinciding with deteriorating relations between North and South Korea under the leadership of Kim Jong-un and Yoon Suk Yeol.
The two Koreas have a history of fluctuating relations, alternating between diplomacy and hostility. Under Kim, North Korea has adopted a more aggressive stance, severing dialogue with South Korea and the United States, while ramping up missile tests and declaring South Korea an enemy. In response, Yoon has taken a confrontational approach, promoting the idea of freedom in the North and increasing military cooperation with the U.S. and Japan.
The situation has been further complicated by North Korea's strengthened ties with Russia, including military support for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The noise bombardment has become a significant issue for residents living near the Demilitarized Zone, with many expressing frustration over the psychological impact of the sounds.
Villagers in Dangsan, a community of 354 people predominantly aged 60 and older, have reported various health issues attributed to the noise, including insomnia and stress-related ailments in livestock. The sounds have been described as irritating and stressful, lacking any human elements that characterized past propaganda broadcasts.
Historically, loudspeakers have been a common feature along the DMZ, with both sides using them to broadcast propaganda. However, the current North Korean broadcasts have shifted from traditional propaganda to a more disorienting soundscape, which residents find unbearable.
In retaliation for anti-Kim propaganda sent from defectors in the South, North Korea has escalated its noise campaign. Following the resumption of South Korean propaganda broadcasts, the North's response has been to amplify its own broadcasts of unsettling sounds.
Residents have expressed a desire for a return to the previous form of propaganda, which they found more tolerable. Political leaders have visited the village, but proposed solutions have been limited to offering double-pane windows and medication for livestock, with no comprehensive plan to address the noise issue.
As tensions continue to rise, villagers feel increasingly abandoned by the government, believing their small population and age have rendered them invisible in the broader political conflict. Calls for a recommitment to previous agreements between the two Koreas have gone unheeded, and the situation remains dire for those living in the shadow of the border.
Residents are left to cope with the ongoing noise, which they describe as a form of warfare without physical shells, and they worry about the long-term implications of this psychological assault on their community.