Paju has been on edge not only due to North Korea’s recent resumption of propaganda broadcasts but also because of the release of balloons carrying what South Korean officials describe as “filth” across the border. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
PAJU, Oct. 22 (Korea Bizwire) – For over 20 days, residents of Paju, a city in Gyeonggi Province bordering North Korea, have been subjected to an unrelenting barrage of psychological warfare. The weapon: loudspeakers blaring an cacophony of animal cries, ghostly wails, and other unsettling sounds across the Demilitarized Zone.
On October 21, Paju Mayor Kim Kyung-il held a mobile town hall meeting in a civil defense shelter near Imjingak, where residents from villages close to the border, including Tongilchon, Haemaru, and Daeseong-dong, gathered to voice their distress.
The area has been on edge not only due to North Korea’s recent resumption of propaganda broadcasts but also because of the release of balloons carrying what South Korean officials describe as “filth” across the border.
Residents unanimously agreed that the broadcasts, which began on September 28, have been particularly unbearable. One septuagenarian resident lamented, “Sleeping pills and sedatives are useless. When I tried earplugs, my ears became inflamed. Please, just spend one night here, and you’ll understand. It’s too painful — save us.”
Another resident described the broadcasts as “torture-level weird noises” unlike previous verbal propaganda, adding, “It’s enough to drive you insane.” Calls for sound-blocking walls or temporary shelters where residents can sleep have been made.
The broadcasts reportedly include a range of disturbing sounds, from the cries of foxes, wild dogs, and crows to the scraping of metal and ghostly voices. The intensity is said to be the highest residents have experienced.
A village chief expressed frustration with North Korean defector groups in the South who send propaganda leaflets across the border, questioning, “They say it’s for the human rights of North Koreans, but don’t we have human rights too?” He warned that residents might take action to prevent future balloon launches.
In response to the growing tensions, Gyeonggi Province designated Paju, Yeoncheon, and Gimpo as danger zones on October 16. This designation allows authorities to issue entry bans to individuals attempting to launch balloons, with the possibility of forced removal and criminal charges for non-compliance.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
