South Korea turns off loudspeakers that blast propaganda across border into North

South Korea has stopped blasting propaganda across its border with North Korea through loudspeakers for the first time in two years.

The broadcasts, which blare pop music and criticism of the North’s dynastic rule across the heavily armed border, came to a halt on Sunday night, the South Korean defence ministry said.

The silence comes just days before the countries’ leaders are scheduled to meet in a historic summit.

Seoul claimed that turning them off would help set the tone for Friday’s talks. They have been running on and off since the Korean War in a bid to urge North Korean soldiers to doubt what they are told by their leaders.

It is unclear if Pyongyang, which uses loudspeakers to broadcast praise for its leader, Kim Kong-un, as well as patriotic music, would do the same.

“We hope this decision will lead both Koreas to stop mutual criticism and propaganda against each other and also contribute in creating peace and a new beginning,” defence ministry spokesman Choi Hoi-hyun said in a statement.

He added that the move aimed to “ease the military tension between the two Koreas and develop a peaceful summit atmosphere.”

North Korea announced it was suspending nuclear tests and closing an atomic test site at the weekend.

The surprise announcement came as the country prepares for historic talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday at the truce village of Panmunjom. It marks the first inter-Korean summit in over a decade.

The countries are expected to discuss replacing the armistice that ended the Korean war in 1953 with a treaty that brings a formal end to hostilities.

Mr Kim is also due to meet US President Donald Trump by June, which will be the first ever meeting between two sitting leaders of North Korea and the US. The date and location for the meeting has yet to be decided.