With South Korea resuming loudspeaker broadcasts against North Korea following the latter’s nuclear test, North Korea also responded with its own loudspeaker broadcasts. However, instead of pointing its speakers to the south, it is sending out broadcasts towards its own territory. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan.20 (Korea Bizwire) – With South Korea resuming loudspeaker broadcasts against North Korea following the latter’s nuclear test, North Korea also responded with its own loudspeaker broadcasts. However, instead of pointing its speakers to the south, it is sending out broadcasts towards its own territory.
According to SBS, a South Korean broadcasting network, the Joint Chiefs of Staff requested an explanation as to why the North has aimed its speakers at its own citizens.
The network conducted an experiment with an expert, preparing two speakers. The south side speaker played the news, and the north side speaker played waterfall sounds.
When the north side speaker was turned towards the north instead of facing the south side speaker, subjects participating in the experiment could only hear waterfall sounds, instead of the news being broadcast from the south.
Experts explain that the phenomenon is called ‘sound masking effect’. It causes South Korean loudspeaker broadcasts to be muffled by the ‘self broadcasting’ of the North. They explain that it is similar to when we turn on the TV inside and all outside noise is canceled.
However, when the two speakers were facing each other, experiment participants could hear the south side news clearly.
The Ministry of National Defense announced that the North was also carrying out loudspeaker broadcasts towards the South.
However, if the speakers are actually facing North Korean territory, the South Korean loudspeaker broadcasts have been proven to have no effect.
Since South Korea is relying on the loudspeaker broadcasts as a part of its psychological warfare against the North, countermeasures are needed.
By Francine Jung (francine.jung@kobizmedia.co.kr)
