South Korean Government Removes 48 Speakers Blasting Girls' Generation & Big Bang At The Border

[mspopstar.livejournal.com]

Meet South Korea's latest weapons in their 67-year-old turf war with the north--Girls' Generation and Big Bang.
Though the 48 speakers blasting K-pop, along with anti-North Korea propaganda in the demilitarized zone that divides North and South Korea have been taken down as of Tuesday morning local time, the unique tactic appears to have had a major effect.

Originally prompted by two South Korean soldiers badly injured by a North Korean box mine, the supersized PA system and the resulting backlash it caused led to the first exchange of artillery and rocket fire across the border in five years on Friday the New York Times reports.

"The North is desperate to stop loudspeaker broadcasts because they can undermine the morale of front-line North Korean troops and its military's psychological preparedness," Cheong Seong Chang, a senior analyst at Seoul's Sejong Institute told the publication.

According to the Washington Post, the sonic assault included the 2009 Girls' Generation song "Tell Me Your Wish" (YAAAASSSS THEIR BEST SONG LMAO) and female speaker deriding North Korea's isolation from the international community, offering examples like Kim Jong Un failing to meet with a single foreign dignitary since taking over for his father as the nation's "supreme leader" in 2011.

Korean entertainment website Koreaboo reports Big Bang's June 1 release "Bang Bang Bang" and Noh Sa Yeon's 1989 hit "Meeting" were also blasted at the border.

Under the new agreement between the two countries, reached after three days of tense negotiations which even had US defense officials reviewing potential war scenarios according to CNN, South Korea agreed to remove their K-pop-blasting sound system after North Korean diplomats apologized for the injuries to the two South Korean servicemen.

"During the meeting, it is very meaningful in the aspect that the North apologized over the landmine incident and that they agreed on making efforts to prevent such incidents from reoccurring and easing tension," South Korean national security chief Kim Kwan Jin told the state-run Yonhap News Agency on Monday.

This was not the first time the South Korean government threatened to weaponize K-pop.

Back in 2010, speakers were installed at 11 locations after North Korean naval soldiers torpedoed the country's Cheonan warship killing 46 seamen, but they were reportedly never used until earlier this month.

According to South Korean nuclear negotiator Chun Yung Woo, a man with extensive experience practicing diplomacy with the North Koreans, the speakers on the border could be the most effective way to fight the North Korean regime his country has come up with yet.

"For the North Koreans, the broadcasts are dangerous because this is about the survival of the regime," he said. "They are worried that this could destroy the soldiers' loyalty to the 'supreme leader' and shake their faith in the system that's central to regime survival." (When will your faves tho?)

As part of the negotiations, officials agreed to have another meeting to discuss other urgent matters in Seoul or Pyongyang, at a yet-to-be disclosed time.

Kpopstarz

North Korea = Taeyeon

Comments

[kwikimart.livejournal.com]

They should have played some SHINee and Wonder Girls too smh lol. I'm glad they didn't play 'Loser' that would have been too messy

hey op, tempestdance posted a really great article about why NK hate that SK do this. Apparently it's really effective propaganda and a lot of people cite it as the reason why they defect: http://omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com/16440969.html?thread=1301767049#t1301767049

#whenwillyourfavesindeed

[gingasaur.livejournal.com]

that was so eye-opening to read this morning. the psychological impact of it is so fascinating to me.

[iigoru.livejournal.com]

Everyone needs to read this.

[bunica1990.livejournal.com]

Should have played SHINee.

[fabulousdoll.livejournal.com]

[3] They should have played SHINee

[achan123.livejournal.com]

should have played lucifer

lol

[fiercediva.livejournal.com]

They should have had giant video screens playing kpop! The women and closeted gay men would put their guns down and start swooning, and the rest would die after attempting to learn one of SHINee's MV choreography numbers.

[myrrhcat.livejournal.com]

implying that kpop only includes male artists? play those girl group MVs too and watch the lesbians come screaming across the border

[boxcuttergirl.livejournal.com]

+1

[kiku-cha8-8.livejournal.com]

there's also this lmao

[kyokomurasaki.livejournal.com]

There was a post about this too: http://omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com/16440969.html

It really threw me when I was watching this episode lol

[hitthoselightz.livejournal.com]

i love that he mentioned neon bunny
seoulight is one of the best albums i have ever heard tbh

[audreyfrill.livejournal.com]

omg yes i lover her

[kamoteatmani.livejournal.com]

Iconique gif but also pls play Shinee too [4]

[jayene25.livejournal.com]

If someone was blasting BangBangBang constantly within my vicinity , it would definitely make me want to go to war with my aural assaulter, ngl. At least GD's parts...

[typhlogirl.livejournal.com]

mte lmfao

[wishesgranted.livejournal.com]

That GIF will never not be funny.

[racquelle2005.livejournal.com]

....are yall really up in here asking them to blast your faves too?

[iskerplunk.livejournal.com]

Lol ikr

[baboboy.livejournal.com]

ikr

[hitthoselightz.livejournal.com]

ikr priorities

[slowitdownbaby.livejournal.com]

right? lmao

[maiself.livejournal.com]

I rather have them blasting A Goose's Dream by In Soo In than any kpop songs with cringe worthy english.

[ookameoo.livejournal.com]

I'm on for SHinee [5]
Lol at the gif.

[fabulousdoll.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure your icon is from a picture of my city. I never expect to watch something like that on Omona lol

[ookameoo.livejournal.com]

Thought it was in Belgrade ? Lol but also in Madrid yeah haha

[fabulousdoll.livejournal.com]

In fact is neither of those two hahaha. Is Alicante, in this photo you can even see the flag of the city on the top right.

It isn't a bit city so I recognize it easily.

[ookameoo.livejournal.com]

Oooh I see ! Didn't even notice the flag, thanks for the info ;)

[bomsnose.livejournal.com]

haha yeah, if it worked in eastern europe, it will work in nk as well. my parents' generation listened to western pop illegally, too.

[justhyuu.livejournal.com]

Unrelated, but does anyone have the video for that Taeyeon/Tiffany gif?

[fairyland-not.livejournal.com]

not sure if it's the original vid but here:


at the 2:42 mark

[baddiemey.livejournal.com]

Lol so North Korea said sorry and ya'll caved? Whatever works I guess.

[algaee.livejournal.com]

well sk and nk have reportedly been in extensive talks this last week but if you really want to think there isn't more to this that not everyone will be privy to..

[addicted-tvxq.livejournal.com]

that gif though HAHAHAHA

[oppameansit.livejournal.com]

i remember in 2010 they were playing 4minute's HuH