Border area residents cry foul over N. Korean loudspeaker broadcasts

North Korean loudspeakers directed at the South are seen installed in North Hwanghae Province, as viewed from the Odusan Unification Tower in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Yonhap

Residents near South Korea’s heavily fortified border with North Korea are pleading for help as relentless loudspeaker broadcasts from the North disrupt their lives.

The broadcasts, featuring ear-splitting sounds such as metal scraping and animals howling, are part of the North's retaliation for anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent by defector groups residing in the South.

Villagers in the border area say the noise has become unbearable.

At a National Assembly audit of the defense ministry on Thursday, residents from Ganghwa County of Incheon appealed directly to lawmakers for help, with some breaking down in tears.

“Our lives are falling apart because of the noise,” one resident testified, adding that their children had developed health issues due to the lack of sleep. “What would you lawmakers say to your children or grandchildren if they say they can't sleep due to the loudspeaker noise?” the resident asked.

Another resident from the same area said there used to be broadcasts from the North in the past, the volume has nearly tripled since North Korea claimed South Korea sent drones over Pyongyang. He said they hear the broadcasts at 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. these days.

Residents from Paju, Gyeonggi Province, another border region, also said they have been bombarded by noise for weeks.

“I can’t sleep at night because of the awful sounds,” a 76-year-old resident at Daeseong-dong, the only village within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the South, said during a meeting between the residents of the village and city government officials on Oct. 18. "It feels like my eardrums are about to burst every night."

The residents complain that the broadcasts, which come from 64 speakers positioned just 700 meters away, have made daily life impossible.

“Even with the TV on and blankets over my head, I still hear phantom sounds,” one resident said.

Another claimed that the earplugs provided by the local government had caused ear infections without alleviating the noise. “We haven’t had a single peaceful day,” the resident said tearfully. “I just want to cry. Please save us.”

Local officials, including Paju Mayor Kim Kyung-il, expressed frustration at the lack of action from the central government.

Calling the sonic attack unprecedented, Kim said, "The central government is neither preventing defector groups' anti-Pyongyang leaflet sending, nor coming up with countermeasures against the North's trash balloons and loudspeaker broadcasts."

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon met the Daeseong-dong villagers on Wednesday, and promised to provide financial support to install soundproof doors and windows. He also pledged to offer mental counseling for the residents and temporary housing at a nearby education center to help them cope with the stress and noise.

At the Assembly audit, Defense Vice Minister Kim Seon-ho also vowed to send experts to assess the noise impact and promised swift action.