North Korea has begun dismantling propaganda loudspeakers along portions of its border with South Korea, South Korean military officials confirmed Saturday. The move reciprocates similar actions recently taken by Seoul in what appears to be a cautious attempt to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

“Activities by the North Korean military removing loudspeakers against South Korea have been detected in parts of the front-line area since Saturday morning,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement to reporters. Military officials noted that further monitoring is necessary to determine whether the dismantling is occurring across the entire border region.

The development marks a notable shift in inter-Korean relations following the inauguration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in June. Lee replaced his predecessor, conservative hardliner Yoon Suk Yeol, whose administration had taken a more confrontational stance toward Pyongyang.

Since taking office, President Lee has implemented several measures aimed at thawing the frozen diplomatic channels between the two countries. His administration first turned off South Korea’s propaganda broadcasts, which had been transmitting criticism of the North Korean regime. South Korean military officials reported that North Korea responded by halting its own broadcasts in June.

Last week, South Korea began physically dismantling its loudspeaker systems, which had been used to broadcast world news, information about democratic society and capitalist economies, and popular K-pop music. These broadcasts were designed to reach deep into North Korean territory, with the sound reportedly traveling more than 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) across the border.

The propaganda speaker systems have long been a contentious issue between the two nations. Residents in South Korean border communities had previously complained about North Korea’s retaliatory broadcasts, which included disruptive sounds such as animal howls and gong-pounding intended to counter South Korean messaging.

North Korea, which maintains strict control over information reaching its citizens and is highly sensitive to any criticism of its leadership under Kim Jong-un, has not yet officially acknowledged the dismantling operations.

The loudspeaker broadcasts have been used as diplomatic tools by both sides over the years. South Korea’s previous conservative government had resumed daily broadcasts in June 2023 after a multi-year pause, responding to North Korea’s provocative launching of trash-filled balloons toward the South.

Beyond addressing the loudspeaker issue, President Lee’s administration has taken additional steps to improve relations, including urging South Korean civic groups to suspend their distribution of anti-North leaflets. The government has also delayed certain aspects of annual joint military exercises with the United States that are scheduled as part of the upcoming Ulchi Freedom Shield drills.

These diplomatic overtures come against the backdrop of a technically ongoing war, as the 1950-53 Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Relations between the two countries have significantly deteriorated in recent years amid North Korea’s continued weapons development programs and increased isolation during the global pandemic.

Analysts view the reciprocal dismantling of propaganda systems as a potentially significant confidence-building measure, though many remain cautious about prospects for substantial diplomatic progress given the deep political divisions and security concerns that continue to separate the two Koreas.

The current developments represent one of the first positive signals in inter-Korean relations after years of heightened tensions marked by North Korea’s accelerated missile testing and nuclear program advancements, combined with strengthened military cooperation between South Korea, the United States, and Japan.