South Korea's army has stopped playing anti-North Korea messages from speakers at the border. This is the new government's first clear step to make the two countries less tense.

Last June, South Korea started playing messages from loudspeakers again. They had stopped for many years. They started again because North Korea sent balloons with trash to the South. North Korea did this to try and upset people in the South.

On Wednesday, South Korea's Defense Ministry said this action will help build trust between North and South Korea and bring peace to the Korean Peninsula.

Last year, from May to November, North Korea sent many balloons to South Korea. These balloons had things like old paper, cloth, cigarette ends, and even animal waste. North Korea said they did this because some people in South Korea had sent balloons with messages against North Korea and USB sticks with South Korean music and TV shows.

North Korea doesn't like it when people from other countries say bad things about their leader, Kim Jong Un.

After North Korea sent balloons, South Korea started using its speakers at the border again to play messages and K-pop songs for North Korea.

The situation got worse because North Korea wanted more nuclear weapons. Also, South Korea did more military training with the US and worked with Japan to be safer. This made things more difficult, like during the Cold War.

Lee Jae-myung is the new president of South Korea. He is a liberal leader. He became president last week after winning an election. He replaced Yoon Suk Yeol, who was a conservative leader. Yoon Suk Yeol lost his job. Lee Jae-myung wants to have better relationships with North Korea. North Korea was angry with Yoon Suk Yeol's strict rules and did not want to talk to him.