North Korea plays eerie noises around the clock to drown out K Pop from South Korea

Since the middle of last year, the South Korean village of Dasan-ri, located on Ganghwa Island, has been plagued by a series of bizarre and unsettling noises. These noises emanate from large loudspeakers set up by North Korea on their side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a mere two kilometers from the village. The proximity of these loudspeakers amplifies the disturbing effects on the villagers.

Local residents describe the noises as sounding like airplanes in good conditions, but resembling the wails of ghosts when conditions are bad. Children have likened the sounds to wolf howls. Resident Kim Man-sik stated that the sounds vary between car braking, tearing, and metal grinding, causing extreme irritation, and many who frequently hear these noises are taking anti-anxiety medication. The relentless nature of these sounds is severely impacting the residents' well-being.

Since the signing of the Korean War armistice agreement in 1953, both North and South Korea have engaged in various measures to interfere with or frustrate each other. From 1963, both sides intermittently used loudspeakers to broadcast propaganda at each other, ceasing after a rare summit between the two countries' leaders in 2018. However, in recent years, tensions have escalated again due to Pyongyang's intensified development of intercontinental ballistic missile programs, pursuit of nuclear weapons, and a recent alliance with Russia. These developments have led to a resurgence of hostile actions.

Over the past year, both sides have adopted a tit-for-tat strategy. North Korea sent balloons filled with garbage to South Korea in retaliation for South Korea's failure to prevent its residents from launching balloons filled with propaganda into North Korea. The South Korean military denied allegations that South Korea sent drones to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, in October to distribute leaflets. In response to the garbage balloons, South Korea broadcast K-Pop music into North Korea. Shortly thereafter, North Korea began broadcasting these bizarre noises, playing them for 10 to 24 hours a day, with the loudest sounds often occurring around midnight. The escalation of these tactics demonstrates the deteriorating relationship.

Village chief Ahn Hyo-cheol stated that the sounds sometimes resemble alarms, other times ghosts, and sometimes animal noises, with his grandchildren saying the sounds remind them of wolves howling from North Korea. These noises have had a profound impact on the residents' mental health. Kim Ok-soon stated that she often suffers from insomnia until four in the morning and experiences headaches, and her grandchildren are also unable to sleep due to the noise. Over half of the 8,200 residents in the area have reported that the noises cause "distress." The psychological toll on the community is significant.

The South Korean government has installed soundproof windows in dozens of affected homes and provided earplugs to all residents in the area. Some residents want to move, but are aware that in the current situation, their houses are virtually unsellable. They are also in negotiations with the South Korean government for financial compensation, but are not satisfied with the amounts currently being discussed. Ahn Hyo-cheol stated that what they want is for the broadcasts to North Korea to stop, as the other side's broadcasts are in response to theirs, and if they stop, the other side might also stop. A resolution to the broadcasting issue could provide much-needed relief.

Under the leadership of conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korea has adopted a more hardline stance towards North Korea. Currently, Yoon Suk-yeol faces impeachment and criminal charges for allegedly implementing martial law in December. Some government officials do not want to appear weak on North Korea issues and believe that the suffering endured by border residents is an acceptable price to pay. Bong Young-shik, a North Korea expert at Yonsei University, stated that, like all politics, it depends on who pays the price for whose benefit, and these residents are the primary victims of the South Korean government's hardline policies. The residents' plight highlights the human cost of political decisions.

Dr. Bong Young-shik added that while these noises are causing distress to some South Korean residents, they may also be intended to block out the K-Pop music, as North Korea fears its citizens or soldiers being attracted to South Korean charm. "Things that may seem crazy or unreasonable from the outside are perfectly reasonable to North Korean leaders," he said. "Maintaining regime stability and preventing its people from being influenced by anything from the outside is critical to the leader's stability and survival." The North Korean perspective underscores the importance of internal control.

Currently, South Korean residents can only hold onto hope, as their mental state is nearing a breaking point. Ms. Kim said, "It's so painful, I feel like I'm going crazy, my head really hurts too much." The desperate situation calls for a swift and effective solution.