Current Affairs: Passage of the Day - 19th November 2024 | Current Affairs & General Knowledge - CLAT PDF Download

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Residents of Dangsan village of South Korea are bearing the brunt of their country's hostilities with North Korea. Pyongyang has deployed a new method of psychological warfare to get even with Seoul: loudspeakers. 
According to a New York Times report, North Korea has amped up loudspeakers along its border with South Korea with eerie noises blaring from it.
The noises like that of a giant gong beaten again, wolves howling, metal grinding together or ghosts screaming have made lives miserable for the villagers. A 37-year-old resident named An Mi-hee told NYT, "It is driving us crazy. You can’t sleep at night.”
Both the Koreas have not signed a peace treaty after the 1950-53 Korean war. North Korean ruler Kim Jongh Un has adopted a more hawkish stance over the years, closing all dialogue with Seoul and United States, and doubling down on testing nuclear-capable missiles.
On the contrary South Korea's Soon Yuk Yeol has called for “spreading the idea of freedom” to the North to penetrate the information blackout
The Dangsan village has a population of 354 and most of the residents are aged 60 and more. “It’s bombing without shells. The worst part is that we don’t know when it will end, whether it will ever end,” An told NYT.
Another villager named An Seon-hoe said he wished North Korea would just broadcast their “old insults” and “propaganda songs”.
North Korea has been bombarding Dangsan residents with nonstop noises which the villagers call them as irritating and stressful. They have blamed the noises for insomnia, headaches, and even goats miscarrying.
Windows shut to minimise noise
According to the NYT report, villagers are now keeping their windows shut to minimise the noise from North Korea. Some of them have installed Styrofoam over them for extra insulation. Children avoid playing on outdoor trampolines because of the noise.
The politicians have visited the border village to offer their sympathies.
“The solution is for the two Koreas to recommit themselves to their old agreements not to slander each other,” Koh, of the Korea Institute told NYT. 
Last month, North Korea demolished all railway and road links between the two Koreas with dynamite. This month, it disrupted GPS signals near the western border with the South, the report added.
[Excerpt from HT "North Korea’s ‘Noise Bombing’" Dated 19/11/24]

Q1: What strategy does North Korea use to disrupt life in Dangsan village?
(a) Aerial bombings
(b) Loudspeaker psychological warfare
(c) Economic sanctions
(d) Cyberattacks

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Q2: How many residents live in Dangsan village?
(a) 254
(b) 354
(c) 300
(d) 450

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Q3: What impact has the loudspeaker noise had on the residents?
(a) Economic losses
(b) Insomnia and headaches
(c) Increased migration
(d) Improved border security

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Q4: What measures have Dangsan residents taken to combat the noise?
(a) Installed noise-cancellation systems
(b) Kept windows shut and added Styrofoam insulation
(c) Relocated to safer areas
(d) Increased military presence

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Q5: What has been the effect on children in Dangsan village?
(a) They continue to play outdoors.
(b) They avoid outdoor activities.
(c) They have taken up defensive training.
(d) They have moved to urban areas.

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