SEOUL: North Korea denounced on Monday (Aug 11) a major joint exercise planned by the South Korean and US militaries as "direct military provocation" and warned of counteraction, amid signs of easing tension across the border under a new leader in Seoul.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military said Saturday it detected North Korea removing some of its loudspeakers from the inter-Korean border, days after the South dismantled its own front-line speakers used for anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts, in a bid to ease tensions.

South Korea's military said on Saturday it had detected North Korean military dismantling some propaganda loudspeakers aimed at the South in parts of the border area, following similar moves by the South.