A study reveals that North Korea has been jamming private radio broadcasts from South Korea dedicated to listeners in North Korea.
Northeast Asian Broadcasting Institute, a private radio broadcasting institute, disclosed in the 10th issue of its monthly “Northeast Asian Broadcasting Study,” that North Korea has been jamming most of South Korean radio programs which target North Korean listeners except “Global Korean Network” of Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), South Korea’s premier public broadcaster.
The list of radio stations which broadcast programs dedicated to North Korean people comes as follows: Radio Free Asia, Voice of America, KBS’s Global Korean Network, Free North Korea, Open Radio for North Korea, Far East Broadcasting Company, North Korea Mission Radio, Shiokaze of Japan and Radio Free Chosun.
The Institute had conducted a research on the condition of the reception of radio broadcasts dedicated to North Korean listeners through shortwave radio during the week between October 1st and 7th. The study found out that almost all radio broadcasts, targeting both North Korean listeners such as VOA and RFA and South Korean listeners such as Central Chosun broadcasting station and Pyongyang Broadcast station, experienced radio signal jamming.
Global Korean Network of Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) was the only program broadcasted without interference. It is a radio program aired on media-wave, so its frequency remains relatively stable from jamming. Moreover, in these days, the program greatly curtailed its contents specifically targeting North Korean people. Therefore, the institute argued that the North Korean authorities might have considered the program as insignificant and so ignored it.
Since the North Korean authorities continue to jam overseas private radio broadcasts dedicated North Korean people, it is important to come up with some countermeasures against the interference.
Meanwhile, the number of North Korean who listens to the foreign radio broadcasts has been increasing particularly among the young people. Many defectors said that it was KBS Liberty Radio which sounded clearest. They said they have also heard of the radio programs of VOA and Far East Broadcasting Company.
A defector, Kim Sung Chul, said, “Since 2000, the number of North Korean people who try to watch foreign films and listen to south Korean radio programs has greatly increased.” He added, “People use electrical wiring or an antenna to get a signal. It is hard for the North Korean authorities to stop the people from listening to radio even if they try to jam foreign radio broadcasts.”
Ha Tae Kyung, the head of Open Radio for North Korea said, “We need to use more radio frequencies to avoid North Korea’s jamming interference. However, many private radio stations dedicated to North Korean listeners have financial difficulties. We really need support from South Korean government.”
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