Anchor: Residents near the inter-Korean border are suffering from North Korean loudspeaker broadcasts. The sounds — which resemble metallic noises, animal cries and effects from an ’80s sci-fi flick — are the latest example of North Korea’s provocations toward the South. The volume of the loudspeakers sometimes exceeds 80 decibels, equivalent to a police patrol siren. KBS World sent a crew to Ganghwa Island on the west coast to check out the situation. 
Kim Bum-soo has our top story. 

Report: 
[Sound bite: N. Korean loudspeaker noise broadcast to South Korea (recorded on Nov. 7, 2024)]

Residents of South Korea’s Ganghwa Island on the west coast complain of not getting enough sleep — the result of a constant barrage of eerie noises blasted from North Korea.

[Sound bite: Senior residents of Ganghwa Island (Korean-English)]
“In mid-July, South Korea started its [loudspeaker] broadcasts to North Korea, I know. After that, in late July, [North Korea’s loudspeaker] broadcasts to South Korea began. At that time, the squeaking and beeping sounds didn’t bother us that much as they sounded [like they were coming] from far away. But the volume gradually increased …
“Every time I’m awoken in the middle of the night, it’s because of these sounds. And once you’re awake, there’s no falling back asleep.”

[Sound bite: N. Korean loudspeaker noise broadcast to South Korea (recorded on Nov. 23, 2024)]

Some say this is the North’s retaliation for anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent by North Korean escapees residing in the South.

Sometimes the loud noise continues for two hours without stopping. At night the sounds grow louder, reaching more than 80 decibels at times — enough to cause hearing loss. 

Ahn Mee-hee has asked the government to provide some relief from the racket.

[Sound bite: Ahn Mee-hee – resident of Ganghwa Island (Korean-English)]
“She is stressed out. My daughter called me yesterday and told me, ‘Mom, they are blasting the sounds again. I am so stressed out,’ she said. All I ask for is to be able to live without these noises, or at least for some way to block them out, like soundproof doors, walls or windows, that’s all.”

The northern part of Ganghwa Island is less than two kilometers away from North Korea.

Local authorities believe about ten percent of those who reside in Dangsan-ri, a township on the northern part of the island, are suffering from sleep disorders and other symptoms due to the sonic attacks. 

Residents of northern Gyeonggi communities bordering the North, such as Gimpo, Yeoncheon and Paju, are going through similar difficulties. 

Many in the affected areas have urged the North Korean defector groups to stop sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets, blaming them for the North Korean loudspeaker broadcasts and the trash balloons that came in retaliation. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.