South Korea's military has taken down loudspeakers that were broadcasting anti-North Korean messages along the border. This action is the new liberal government's first clear move to reduce the strained relationship between the two rival nations, which were divided by war.

South Korea started using loudspeaker broadcasts again in June of last year, after a long break. This was in response to North Korea sending balloons filled with trash towards the South as part of a psychological campaign.

On Wednesday, South Korea's Defense Ministry stated that the action was part of efforts to rebuild trust in relations between the two Koreas and advance peace on the Korean Peninsula.

From May to November last year, North Korea sent thousands of balloons into South Korea, dropping things like waste paper, cloth pieces, cigarette butts, and even animal waste. North Korea stated that this balloon campaign was in response to South Korean activists sending balloons with anti-North Korean leaflets and USB sticks containing popular South Korean songs and TV shows.

North Korea responds very strongly to any outside criticism of its authoritarian government and its leader, Kim Jong Un, who inherited his position.

In response to North Korea's balloons, South Korea has started using its loudspeakers on the border again to play propaganda messages and K-pop songs towards the North.

The psychological warfare campaigns, reminiscent of the Cold War era, exacerbated tensions. These tensions were primarily fueled by North Korea's escalating nuclear ambitions and South Korea's initiatives to broaden joint military exercises with the United States, alongside its endeavors to fortify trilateral security cooperation with Japan.

South Korea's new liberal president, Lee Jae-myung, started his term last week after winning an early election. He replaced the conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol and has promised to make relations with Pyongyang better. Pyongyang reacted very strongly against Yoon's strict policies and would not talk to him.