South Korea to begin dismantling propaganda loudspeakers in the DMZ
Following a historic summit between Kim Jong-un and President Moon Jae-in last Friday, the two Koreas have agreed to halt all hostile acts towards each other by today, including the broadcasting of propaganda across the border.
The cease in hostilities comes at a time when the peninsula is seeing a dramatic thaw in tensions, with last week’s meeting being the first in over 50 years. There, the leaders signed an ambitious document to pursue an official end to the Korean war and a “nuclear-free Korean Peninsula”.
Since then, optimism for reunification has increased significantly: 65% of South Koreans believe the North will denuclearise compared to only 15% before the summit. However, with a history of using talks as a means to buy time only to shut the door on diplomacy again, North Korea’s denuclearisation is far from certain.
As tensions wane, expect South Korea and the US to try binding North Korea to deadlines and to force continued negotiation. Additionally, keep an eye out for tangible progress such as economic engagement and military disengagement as indicators that these talks may finally effect a credible solution.
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