THE CHANGING KOREAN
BROADCASTING LANDSCAPE
Part 1

This is an edited version of an extended article that first appeared in my World of Shortwave Listening column in the December 2025 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. Further details on this excellent publication are available at www.thespectrummonitor.com

Click on all images to zoom in for a closer look.

The international services of the Voice of Korea (North) and KBS World Radio (South Korea) maintain their extensive global broadcasting schedules. However, there have been changes to the opposition broadcasts used by each country, mainly due to shifts in the political policies of the two governments. We will discuss some of these changes, but first, a quick look at the respective countries’ international services.

North Korea’s Voice of Korea broadcasts in multiple languages, including Korean, English, Arabic, Russian, French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, and Japanese. From 0300 to 2400 UTC, these languages can be heard from 200 kW transmitters near Kujang. An exception is the Japanese service on 6070 kHz via the 250 kW Kanggye transmitter, which operates from 0900 to 1250 UTC.

Apart from the Voice of Korea international service, listeners can also tune in to the Korean Central Broadcasting System (KCBS), a domestic network, between 2000 and 1800 UTC on 2350, 3250, 3959, 6100, and 11680 kHz daily in Korean. The transmitter power ranges from 5 kW to 125 kw. Additionally, some KCBS programming is also relayed through several regular Voice of Korea frequencies.

In the south, KBS World Radio operates for most of the day, broadcasting in a slightly broader range of languages, including Korean, English, Japanese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Indonesian, Russian, French, German, and Arabic. The World Radio programmes mainly originate from 100- or 250-kW transmitters at Gimje. However, at the time of writing, it also utilises additional facilities at Woofferton, England, and a French broadcast to Africa via either Ascension Island or Issoudun, France.

Regular readers know I enjoy exploring and inspecting the transmitter sites of our international broadcasters. For KBS, this was fairly straightforward on Google Maps. In fact, there are some excellent images of the extensive antenna system. Copy and paste the following coordinates for the main transmitter site: 35.820565511349486, 126.86371683217179. There is even a fantastic shot of the feeder network that crosses above the road: 35.82240978760683, 126.86677455034803.

However, the North Korean transmitter site was much harder to find. It’s not in Kujang, but about 25 km north of that township. This is a smaller facility located in a less developed area, with a mix of farmland and woodland. Take a look at the following Google Map coordinates: 40.08189449387952, 126.1103502280814.

North Korean Stations Disappear

In January 2024, two long-established stations unexpectedly stopped broadcasting on their usual frequencies. Pyongyang Broadcasting Station (also known as Pyongyang Pansong) had previously transmitted to Korean citizens in South Korea, Japan, and China on 3220, 3320, 4557, and 6160 kHz. PBS had been on air since 1955 and was regarded as North Korea’s second radio network. However, its main goal was to reach listeners in South Korea and Japan. Because it was not officially accessible to North Korean listeners, Pyongyang Pansong occasionally commented on international issues not widely discussed within North Korea, although its output was heavily regulated.

The Echo of Unification, also known as Voice of National Unification, began in December 2012 and served as a propaganda outlet for the North Korean government on 3945, 3970, and 5905 kHz, targeting South Korean listeners. Suddenly, both stations ceased broadcasting.

The reasons behind the disappearance of these two broadcasters remain unclear. Reports mention changes in policy and constitution. Around late 2023 or early 2024, Kim Jong-un redefined the relationship with South Korea as one between two separate states, rather than a matter of reunification or kinship. Kim is said to have ordered the removal of references to peaceful unification from the constitution and the abolition of certain agencies related to inter-Korean tourism and unification.

Due to the change in policy language—from kinship and unification to hostility—continuing radio broadcasts aimed at the South no longer aligned with the new stance. Suspending the broadcasts was consistent with this broader policy shift. The suspension was symbolic, emphasising that North Korea no longer views “peaceful unification” as a policy goal.

Changes in South Korea

In June this year, South Koreans elected Lee Jae-myung as their president. This has resulted in important national policy shifts, including the new administration’s stance towards the North.

The Lee administration has been making significant efforts to ease tensions and show goodwill towards Pyongyang, following through on promises to reduce provocative actions against it. The new government’s approach is to rebuild North-South relations and seek new opportunities for dialogue and engagement, as indicated by official statements from President Lee Jae Myung and National Intelligence Service Director Lee Jong-seok. This move also coincides with a broader halt of other propaganda activities, such as loudspeaker broadcasts along the border and leaflet launches.

Intelligence community sources say the move was partly reciprocal, with North Korea halting its cross-border broadcasts in January 2024 (as previously mentioned, e.g., the Echo of Unification’s suspension of transmissions), and was intended as a visible confidence-building measure to restore dialogue channels.

North Korean watchers often question whether shortwave broadcasts are genuinely effective. Pyongyang’s 2006 order banning citizens from tuning to any channels other than their own, under threat of severe punishment, was a strong deterrent to listening to foreign broadcasts. Furthermore, efforts to jam South Korean stations have not always been successful on various levels. Some argue that shortwave propaganda is more difficult to sustain due to jamming issues, limited access to broadcasts within the DPRK, and the high costs compared to the impact. Analysts see the suspension as partly a practical recognition that shortwave’s effectiveness has declined and that the diplomatic costs now outweigh the benefits.

The South Korean Stations that have Vanished

In early July this year, shortwave broadcasts by Echo of Hope (on air since 1973) and Voice of the People (launched in the mid-1980s), both operated by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), ceased or were suspended. Frequencies vacated by Echo of Hope include 3985, 4885, 5995, 6250, 6350, and 7720 kHz. The regular Voice of the People outlets at 3480, 3910, 3930, 4450, 4560, 6520, and 6600 kHz are also silent. Both broadcasters ran 24-hour services daily.

On August 31, a third station, Voice of Freedom, ceased operations. It was run by the Ministry of National Defence (MND) and transmitted on a single frequency of 5920 or the alternative 6040v kHz from a 10 kW transmitter at Hwaseong, about 40 km south of Seoul.

With all three stations, we’re unsure whether the closures are permanent or just a temporary suspension of broadcasts. I’d be surprised if they’ve closed for good, but you can never tell what politicians are thinking!

Another impact on broadcasting to North Korea is the Trump administration’s dismantling of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM). This has affected Korean broadcasts from the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia.

What are the effects of reducing South Korean broadcasts aimed at North Korea? Unlike many other parts of the world, North Korea still lacks reliable alternatives to radio, such as the Internet or satellite TV, for breaking through its information barrier. The reduction in broadcasts means the North Korean population will have less access to relevant external news, and the remaining sources will become more outdated. One writer, Martyn Williams, warns that if the political or security situation on the peninsula worsens, South Korea and the U.S. might regret losing these direct broadcast links.

A Word on Dialects

There are differences between the Korean language spoken in North Korea and that spoken in South Korea. The North Korean dialect is officially called “Munhwaŏ,” which means “cultural language” in Korean. This standard is mainly based on the Pyongan dialect, spoken in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. It is the standard form of Korean promoted by the DPRK government.

North Korea officially adopted Munhwaŏ as its national standard language in 1966, replacing what they considered “bourgeois” or “foreign-influenced” usages from the South, especially English and Japanese loanwords. The common term North Koreans use for their language is Chosŏnŏ. Although Munhwaŏ is the official standard, other regional dialects like the Hamgyong and Hwanghae dialects also exist within North Korea.

In contrast, the South Korean standard, Pyojunŏ, is based on the Seoul dialect. It includes more English and Chinese loanwords, reflecting various forms of modernisation and international influences. Despite official and regional differences, the languages remain highly mutually intelligible, with most distinctions focused on vocabulary, pronunciation, and ideology rather than core grammar.

Korean street scene

North Korea on Shortwave Today

From January 2024 onwards, shortwave broadcasts are now solely from the Voice of Korea and the domestic network of the Korean Central Broadcasting Station (KCBS). Refer to the WRTH and various online frequency lists for the current schedule.

Reports suggest that KCBS also uses DRM on 6140 and 3205 kHz between 2000 and 1800 UTC, but I’ve never received these signals here in southeastern Australia. I also question the purpose (or wisdom!) of transmitting in DRM for a domestic audience that cannot access DRM radios and is limited to AM broadcasts on fixed frequencies!

South Korea on Shortwave Today

The South’s national broadcaster offers three services. The first two include the well-known KBS World Radio (via Gimje, Woofferton, and Ascension or Issoudun) and the rebroadcast of KBS World Radio programming through the WRMI transmitters in Okeechobee, FL. Here is the latest KBS broadcasts over WRMI:

Time (UTC)	Days	Language	kHz	Transmitter Site	Power (kW)	Target Area
0300–0400	Tue–Sat	English	5850	Okeechobee, FL	100	North America
0300–0400	Mon–Fri	English	9455	Okeechobee, FL	100	North America
1300–1400	Daily	English	9395	Okeechobee, FL	100	North America
1600–1630	Sat	English	7730	Okeechobee, FL	100	Eastern North America
1600–1630	Sat	English	9395	Okeechobee, FL	100	North America
2100–2200	Daily	English	9395	Okeechobee, FL	100	North America

The third, lesser-known service is KBS Global Korean Networks 1 and 2, which provide specialised programming for Koreans living outside South Korea. On shortwave, the Network 1 service broadcasts in Korean on 6015 from 0350 to 2400 UTC via the Hwaseong transmitter site and is beamed to East Asia. Both networks are also broadcast on mediumwave.

Here is the KBS World Radio schedule (current as of December 27, 2025 and subject to change):

Time (UTC)	Language	kHz	Transmitter Site	Power (kW)	Target Area
0000–0100	Korean	11810	Kimje, South Korea	250	Non-Directional
0100–0300	Japanese	11810	Kimje, South Korea	250	Japan
0200–0300	Spanish	15575	Kimje, South Korea	250	North America
0300–0400	Japanese	11810	Kimje, South Korea	250	South America
0700–0800	Korean	9870	Woofferton, UK	250	Europe
0800–1000	Japanese	6155	Kimje, South Korea	100	Non-Directional
0800–0900	Korean	9570	Kimje, South Korea	100	South-East Asia
0800–1030	English	9770	Kimje, South Korea	100	South-East Asia
0900–1000	Korean	9570	Kimje, South Korea	100	South-East Asia
0900–1000	Korean	15160	Kimje, South Korea	250	Middle East, Africa
1000–1100	English	9570	Kimje, South Korea	250	South-East Asia
1030–1100	Vietnamese	9770	Kimje, South Korea	250	South-East Asia
1100–1200	Spanish	11795	Kimje, South Korea	250	South America
1130–1230	Chinese	6095	Kimje, South Korea	250	China
1130–1230	Chinese	9770	Kimje, South Korea	100	South-East Asia
1200–1300	Indonesian	9570	Kimje, South Korea	100	South-East Asia
1230–1330	Chinese	6095	Kimje, South Korea	250	China
1300–1400	English	9570	Kimje, South Korea	100	South-East Asia
1300–1400	English	15575	Kimje, South Korea	250	North America
1300–1400	Russian	9645	Kimje, South Korea	100	Europe
1400–1500	Indonesian	9570	Kimje, South Korea	100	South-East Asia
1400–1500	English	9630	Kimje, South Korea	250	India
1400–1500	Korean	15575	Kimje, South Korea	250	North America
1500–1600	English	9515	Kimje, South Korea	100	Europe
1500–1600	English	9630	Kimje, South Korea	250	India
1530–1600	Vietnamese	9640	Kimje, South Korea	100	South-East Asia
1600–1700	Korean	7275	Kimje, South Korea	250	Europe
1600–1700	Korean	9740	Kimje, South Korea	250	Middle East, Africa
1600–1700	English	9515	Kimje, South Korea	100	Europe
1600–1700	English	9640	Kimje, South Korea	100	South-East Asia
1700–1800	Korean	9515	Kimje, South Korea	250	Europe
1700–1800	Spanish	9740	Kimje, South Korea	250	Europe
1800–1900	Russian	6040	Woofferton, UK	250	Europe
2000–2100	German	3955	Woofferton, UK	250	Europe
2000–2100	Arabic	6090	Woofferton, UK	250	Middle East, Africa
2000–2100	French	9655	Ascension Island	250	Africa
2100–2200	French	3955	Woofferton, UK	250	Europe
2200–2300	English	11810	Kimje, South Korea	250	Europe
2300–0000	Chinese	7215	Kimje, South Korea	100	China

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THE CHANGING KOREAN BROADCASTING LANDSCAPE - Part 1