Okwudiri Straightman Nwali

Seoul unleashes its anti-North propaganda broadcasts over Kim's H-bomb test... with a barrage of zany pop music including an artist who sings to a god of the underworld

• South Korea has begun blasting loudspeaker messages across the border
• Performers on playlist include girl band and singer who begs to live to 100
• Messages will also boast about democracy and blast North's dictatorship
• Kim Jong Un considers the broadcasts an act of psychological warfare

South Korea has started its anti-North propaganda broadcasts in retaliation for Kim Jong-Un's nuclear test – with a barrage of zany pop music.

Performers on the playlist Seoul that began blasting across the border today includes a female K-pop band and a singer who pleads with a god of the underworld to let her live for 100 years.

South Korea also uses the loudspeakers to boast of its democracy system and culture, while criticising the North's troubled economy and dire human rights conditions.

Today is believed to be Kim's birthday and the broadcasts will draw a furious response from North Korea, which considers them an act of psychological warfare. 

On the playlist: South Korea has started its anti-North propaganda broadcasts in retaliation for Kim Jong-Un's nuclear test – with a barrage of zany pop music including tracks from K-Pop girl group Apink (pictured)

Other songs being broadcast across the border are by singer IU and idol boy band Big Bang (pictured)

South Korea also uses the loudspeaker broadcast to boast of its democracy system and culture, while criticising the North's troubled economy and dire human rights conditions 

A South Korean soldier stands near the loudspeakers near the border area between South Korea and North Korea in Yeoncheon, South Korea on Friday

Video of Lee Ae-ran's '100 years of life' in which she sends messages to death, or a god from the underworld, saying it isn't yet time to say goodbye to living

Pyongyang is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of his authoritarian leadership and its reaction could be especially harsh because of the high emotions surrounding his likely birthday. 

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that frontline troops, near 11 sites where propaganda loudspeakers started blaring messages, were on highest alert. 

Seoul's defense ministry says K-pop – a unique brand of South Korean music – will pique interests of the listeners in the North and help draw attention to its harder political messages. 

North Koreans are prohibited from listening to K-pop and are allowed to listen only to government-controlled radio stations or TV channels. 

Despite that, North Korean defectors say South Korean music is popular in their home country, with songs and other elements of South Korea popular culture smuggled in on USB sticks and DVDs. 

One of the tracks includes a song by Lee Ae-ran whose title which can be translated as '100 years of life' and sends messages to death, or a god from the underworld, saying it isn't yet time to say goodbye to living.

It was so popular among young and old that Kakao Talk, South Korea's most popular messenger app, created emoticons, or animated images, from the music video. 

Mobilising: A South Korean K-9 self-propelled howitzer is transported on a truck in South Korea's western border city of Paju, north of Seoul. Frontline troops, near 11 sites where propaganda loudspeakers started blaring messages, were on highest alert after the anti-North propaganda broadcasts started

A South Korean soldier walks past barricades on the road leading to North Korea's Kaesong joint industrial complex at a military checkpoint in the border city of Paju near the Demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas

A South Korean sentry post (front) and North Koren sentry post (above) look at each other running across the inter-Korean border in the border city of Paju, in Gyeonggi-do

The song inspired a host of online parodies and memes and political parties reportedly sought to use it in their campaigns during upcoming general elections.

Also echoing over the Demilitarized Zone: GFriend's 'Me gustas Tu' about a girl who is trying to muster courage and overcome shyness to ask a boy out. 

GFriend rose to fame last year when a fan posted a video on YouTube showing its members standing up after falling several times on a slippery stage to complete an outdoor performance. 

The YouTube video has nearly 9million views since it was uploaded in September.

Other songs being broadcast across the border are by singer IU, the popular female group Apink and idol boy band Big Bang.

It's not the first time music has been employed against an enemy. 

Most famously, when the U.S. invaded Panama in 1989 to oust Manuel Noriega, forces blasted rock music outside the Vatican Embassy, where the dictator had holed up, to encourage his surrender.

The nuclear test, which caused an earthquake that was measured by the United States Geological Survey, was ordered by North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (pictured) 

Anger: Protesters took to the streets in Seoul and burned an effigy of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un following the hydrogen bomb tests

FROM LUXURY GOODS TO VISAS: THE SANCTIONS IMPOSED ON REPEAT OFFENDER NORTH KOREA

The UN has imposed a number of sanctions on North Korea since it first tested an atomic device in 2006.

ARMS EMBARGO

• October 2006: The security council imposed an arms embargo and ban on a range of imports and exports to prevent North Korea from carrying out nuclear tests or launching ballistic missiles 
• June 2009: Ban was extended to any military material, financial transactions and technical training related to the supply and use of arms, nuclear and missile technology
• 2013: The provision was further strengthened to allow countries to seize and destroy material connected to North Korea's weapons programs

TRAVEL, LUXURY GOODS AND ASSETS FREEZE

• 2006: A UN sanctions committee was created to 'blacklist' those deemed to be providing support to North Korea's banned programs. Those blacklisted had their assets frozen and were banned from travelling abroad
• 2013: This was strengthened to those who may have helped North Korea evade sanctions

THE BLACKLIST

• There are 20 entities and 12 individuals on the UN sanctions blacklist, which was last updated in July 2014 when sanctions were imposed on the Ocean Maritime Management (OMM) company for arranging shipments of concealed arms from Cuba to North Korea in 2013
• The North Korean nationals on the blacklist are mostly involved in trading houses and commercial banks, but there is also Atomic Minister Ri Je-Son and the former director of the Yongbyon nuclear research center, Ri Hong-Sop

Hydrogen bombs (top left, explainer graphic) can generate vast and violent amounts of energy through nuclear fission - the splitting of atoms - followed by fusion - the combining of atoms

North Korea conducted a 'successful' hydrogen bomb test at its Punggye-ri test site, Pyongyang claimed 

When South Korea briefly resumed propaganda broadcasts in August after an 11-year break, the two Koreas exchanged artillery fire, followed by threats of war. 

Yonhap said Seoul had deployed missiles, artillery and other weapons systems near the border to swiftly deal with any possible North Korean provocation.

The broadcasts include popular Korean pop songs, world news and weather forecasts as well as criticism of the North's nuclear test, its troubled economy and dire human rights conditions. 

August's broadcasts, which began after Seoul blamed Pyongyang for land mine explosions that maimed two South Korean soldiers, stopped only after the rivals agreed on a set of measures aimed at easing anger.

Wednesday's nuclear test drew furious condemnation around the world, although governments and weapons experts doubt Pyongyang's claim that the device it set off was a hydrogen bomb.

It may take weeks or longer to confirm or refute the North's claim, which would mark a major and unanticipated advance for its still-limited nuclear arsenal.

Even a test of an atomic bomb, a less sophisticated and less powerful weapon, would push its scientists and engineers closer to their goal of building a nuclear warhead small enough to place on a missile that can reach the U.S. mainland.

Later today, South Korea is due to announce the results of its first round of investigations of samples collected from sea operations to see if radioactive elements leaked from the North's test.

President Barack Obama has spoken to South Korean president Park Geun-hye and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and reaffirmed the 'unshakeable US commitment' to the security of the two Asian allies.

The UN Security Council held an emergency session and pledged to swiftly pursue new sanctions against North Korea, saying its test was a 'clear violation' of previous UN resolutions.

TIMELINE OF NORTH KOREA'S ATTEMPTS TO BECOME A NUCLEAR POWER 

August 31, 1998: North Korea fires a rocket over Japan and into Pacific Ocean but its accuracy is reportedly poor with no meaningful strike capability.

July 5, 2006: North Korea launches a three-stage rocket with a potential range of 6,700 kilometers (4,100 miles) but it fizzles after liftoff, according to U.S. and South Korean officials. North Korea has never acknowledged the launch.

October 9, 2006: North Korea conducts its first underground nuclear test blast, after citing 'extreme threat of a nuclear war' from United States.

April 5, 2009: A long-range rocket said to be carrying a satellite reaches the Pacific but fails in the third stage. Despite North Korea's claims of success, no satellite reaches orbit, U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command says.

April 14, 2009: North Korea quits six-party nuclear disarmament talks and vows to restart nuclear facilities in protest against international condemnation over its rocket launch.

May 25, 2009: North Korea conducts its second nuclear test.

June 13, 2009: North Korea says it will start enriching uranium, a possible second route to manufacture nuclear weapons in addition to a plutonium-based program at its reactor.

May 11, 2010: North Korea claims to have succeeded in nuclear fusion reaction, which led to speculation that the country was trying to build a more powerful bomb. Outside analysts doubt the North's claim.

February 29, 2012: North Korea announces a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests in food aid deal with U.S.

April 13, 2012: North Korea launches long-range rocket from west coast that fizzles shortly after liftoff. Pyongyang acknowledges failure. The United States announces it will not carry out the food aid deal.

December 12, 2012: A long-range rocket launch puts a satellite in orbit in just 10 minutes. The U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command says North Korea appears to have put object in space.

February 13, 2013: North Korea carries out its third nuclear test.

May 9, 2015: North Korea says it has successfully test-fired a newly developed ballistic missile from a submarine. Missiles launched from submerged vessels would be harder to detect that land-based ones, but many analysts say North Korea likely remains years away from having an operational system.

December 10, 2015: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claims to have achieved the capability to detonate a hydrogen bomb.

January 6, 2016: North Korea says it has conducted a hydrogen bomb test.