North Korea starts dismantling some border loudspeakers, South Korea says

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SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea’s military said on Saturday it had detected North Korean military dismantling some propaganda loudspeakers aimed at the South in parts of the border area, following similar moves by the South.

This is the first time Seoul has made such a statement since President Lee Jae Myung became president two months ago and South Korea began dismantling its own speakers.

The military said further confirmation was needed on whether the dismantling was taking place across all areas, adding it would continue monitoring related activities.

Seeking to ease tensions with Pyongyang, Lee’s liberal government, which replaced a conservative one, switched off propaganda broadcasts criticising the North Korean regime soon after Lee took office.

On Monday, South Korean authorities began removing loudspeakers blaring anti-North Korea broadcasts along the country’s border, as Lee revives stalled dialogue between the longtime arch-rivals.

The countries remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, and relations have deteriorated in the last few years.

Cross-border propaganda broadcasts through loudspeakers have been used by both sides as relations between South and North Korea have ebbed and flowed over the years.

(Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Joyce Lee; Editing by William Mallard)