(LEAD) N. Korea appears to test propaganda loudspeakers along border

North Korea conducted a test of its propaganda loudspeakers along the inter-Korean border on Thursday, according to residents in Paju, South Korea's border city. The broadcasts began at 6 a.m., emitting relatively low-volume sounds that were audible from the early hours. One resident in Daeseongdong, the only civilian village inside the Demilitarized Zone, described hearing music and ghostly wails during the test.

Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, had warned on October 22 that such broadcasts would be ready by the end of the month, following her inspection of border fortifications and threats of military action against South Korean troops for firing warning shots. The broadcasts reportedly lasted for about four to five hours, with officials stating they may have only reached low-lying civilian areas.

Despite the low volume, the test could indicate that North Korea is preparing to fully activate anti-South Korean propaganda loudspeakers, which had been halted for six years under the 2018 inter-Korean summit agreement but resumed in June 2014 and again in June 2022 following tensions with South Korea.