Koreas to stop cross-border blare

DORASAN OBSERVATION POST, South Korea - The bellowing cacophony of anthems here along the tense border with North Korea began their swan songs Friday after a rare agreement to phase out such broadcasts and propaganda signboards.

The war of words along the heavily fortified no man's land separating North and South Korea dates to the 1950-53 Korean War that devastated the peninsula and left tens of thousands of troops arrayed along the frontier.

The South uses towering electronic billboards, reminiscent of the "Hollywood" sign overlooking Los Angeles, to beam weather reports, world news and salutations to its communist neighbor. The North rejoins with signboards to relay such messages as "Let's Establish a Confederate Nation!"

From strategically placed loudspeakers, both Koreas blare music that reverberates across the 21/2-mile Demilitarized Zone, a Cold War vestige strewn with mine fields, barbed wire and tank traps.

Yet in a small sign of rapprochement between the former battlefield foes, the two Koreas agreed Friday after an all-night negotiating session to try to ease tensions by, among other things, ending such propaganda efforts.

That effort begins June 15, the fourth anniversary of a historic summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and the South's then-President Kim Dae Jung. A month later, there will ideally be no more booming music or signboards, according to a joint statement both countries released after the talks.

The accord also introduced measures to prevent naval clashes in coastal waters, partly by establishing a telephone hotline and adopting a standard radio frequency and signaling system to improve communication.

South Korean officials praised the accord as buttressing peace and stability amid a standoff over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

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