SEOUL, Republic of Korea. A top North Korean official has warned the secretive state is being pushed to the “brink of war” – as South Korea continued to blare propaganda through loudspeakers across the border.
In what was the country’s first response to the broadcasts, which Pyongyang finds insulting, Kim Ki Nam also told a rally that the US and its followers were “jealous of the successful test of our first hydrogen bomb” – which it claims took place on Wednesday.
South Korea’s ear-splitting barrage, which includes “K-pop” music and messages criticising Kim Jong-un’s regime, is being blasted from walls of loudspeakers in 11 locations – and North Korea has since responded with its own broadcasts.
The last time Seoul deployed the technique last August, which was described at the time as “psychological warfare” by its isolated neighbour, it resulted in both sides exchanging artillery fire.
On Friday, a South Korean defence military official explained: “We have selected a diverse range of the most recent popular hits to make it interesting.”
They included karaoke favourites such as the upbeat dance hit Bang, Bang, Bang.
As the high-decibel broadcasts continued, state media in North Korea published photographs which appeared to show thousands of people celebrating Kim Jong-un’s birthday in Pyongyang.
Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, has held talks with China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, to warn that China’s approach to North Korea is failing.
Although Beijing is a key economic and diplomatic backer for the secretive state, Seoul’s government has called on Mr Wang to “sternly punish” North Korea for the nuclear test.
Hours after the propaganda broadcasts began, the UK’s Foreign Secretary urged South Korea to “exercise restraint” – and said the country shouldn’t “rise to the bait” by provoking Pyongyang.
Credit: Sky News
