Loudspeaker broadcasts between the two Koreas have come to a halt. Long regarded as a symbol of inter-Korean tension, the broadcasts were suspended by the Lee Jae-myung administration as its first step toward improving relations with the North. In response, North Korea halted its own noise transmissions. This loudspeaker conflict had endangered residents in border areas and heightened military tensions. As it comes to a halt for now, it built a minimal but meaningful foundation for inter-Korean dialogue. To build on this progress, further measures to restore mutual trust should follow, including the reactivation of inter-Korean communication lines.

Meanwhile, there are signs that the U.S. Trump administration is seeking to resume dialogue with North Korea. In response to reports that North Korea rejected a letter from President Donald Trump to leader Kim Jong-un, the White House stated that Trump remains open to further exchanges, adding that he likely wishes to see continued progress from the Singapore summit from his first term. This indicates he may again pursue top-down diplomacy via direct engagement with Kim, as seen during his first term. The two leaders held three meetings and exchanged letters multiple times during that time.

Inter-Korean relations have sharply deteriorated since the suspension of 2024’s September 19th military agreement following increased tensions over waste-filled balloons and anti-North propaganda leaflets. Since then, live-fire drills near the border and the resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts have further strained ties. North Korea renewed its “two hostile states” rhetoric that year, demolished railway and road links along the Gyeongui and Donghae corridors, and dismantled the Mount Kumgang reunion center, once a symbol of humanitarian cooperation, in February 2025.

In his inauguration speech, Lee stated that while his administration would respond to North Korea’s nuclear and military threats with strong deterrence based on the South Korea-U.S. alliance, it would also seek to open channels of communication and pursue peace through dialogue and cooperation. To fulfill that promise, it is necessary to create room for renewed engagement. Given North Korea’s diminished interest in talks with either Seoul or Washington as well as its enhanced nuclear and missile capabilities and closer military ties with Russia, careful political and diplomatic efforts will be required to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. At the same time, South Korea must continue strengthening trust with the United States to avoid a situation in which Washington bypasses Seoul and reaches a limited agreement with Pyongyang involving sanctions relief in exchange for a nuclear freeze or arms reduction.

[ⓒ 매일경제 & mk.co.kr, 무단 전재, 재배포 및 AI학습 이용 금지]