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South Korea stops blasting propaganda ahead of summit with the North

Anti-North Korea propaganda blaring across the border has been stopped by South Korea ahead of an historic meeting of the countries' leaders.

For the first time in two years, Seoul turned off huge speakers pumping out K-Pop and propaganda messages.

The broadcasts began in 2016 following the North's fourth nuclear test.

In a statement, the Defence Ministry said they had been halted at midnight on Sunday to ease military tensions and establish a peaceful environment for talks.

Yonhap news agency, citing an unidentified government source, said North Korea was believed to have turned off many of its messages later on Monday.

The move comes just days after Kim Jong Un announced he was freezing nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and closing a nuclear test site.

He stopped short of offering to give up his nuclear weapons or scrap any warheads he may have stockpiled.

Last week, on a visit to the demilitarised zone (DMZ), Sky News saw preparations being made to Peace House, the huge square building which will host the two leaders.

Blue sheets covered the doors, preventing a glimpse of the interior, and soldiers ensured journalists did not get too close.

Security is carefully controlled at the DMZ - the 2.5 mile wide buffer zone that has separated the two countries for 65 years.

Cameras are only allowed to point in one direction, and anyone who breaks the rules can have their footage deleted.

As we watched the changing of armed North Korean guards, we were warned not to make any sudden gestures or hand movements in case we alarmed them.

Friday's Inter-Korean summit will be the first time a leader from the North has stepped foot in the South since the Korean War in the 1950s.

It is believed the meeting will focus on how to denuclearise the North, and a possible peace treaty that would officially end the Korean War.

The two Koreas have held a third round of working-level talks in the border village of Panmunjom, and agreed that Friday's talks will include a welcoming ceremony and a banquet dinner as well as a formal meeting between President Moon Jae-In and Mr Kim.

Donald Trump is also due to meet the North Korean leader in late May or early June.

Despite welcoming Pyongyang's announcement that it was halting nuclear tests, on Sunday President Trump tweeted: "We are a long way from conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they won't - only time will tell....But the work I am doing now should have been done a long time ago!"

America has demanded the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsular.

While Mr Kim has said he is willing to put his nuclear programme up for negotiation, it is still unclear what concessions the dictator will demand in return.