THE CHANGING KOREAN BROADCASTING LANDSCAPE - Part 2
THE CHANGING KOREANBROADCASTING LANDSCAPEPart 2
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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.
External Services Aimed at the North
As noted earlier, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service and Ministry of National Defense have, under the new government’s direction, either temporarily or permanently, shut down Echo of Hope, Voice of the People, and Voice of Freedom. However, unburdened by North Korea’s dictatorial regime, a few independent and Christian organizations still operate, broadcasting into North Korea via international transmitter sites. Let’s look at these now. NOTE: Times and frequencies listed here might vary.
Free North Korea Radio
Broadcasting on shortwave since December 2005, Free North Korea Radio depends on intelligence from defectors or insiders within North Korea, often via mobile phones using Chinese SIM cards in border areas. These sources allow reports to be compiled on events the regime tries to hide (for example, executions). The broadcasts also include letters from citizens, testimonies of abuses (including sexual violence within the North’s armed forces), and critical coverage of North Korea’s military actions (such as its deployment of troops to Russia).
Funding partly comes from the U.S. “Defense Forum Foundation” and religious donations. As U.S. Congress grants for overseas ventures like this are being cut, it remains uncertain whether the station will continue to operate on shortwave in the future. The late Kim Seong-min, a North Korean defector, founded the station. After a lengthy battle with cancer, Kim passed away in early September this year, aged 62. With Kim no longer guiding the broadcasts, this could also impact future operations.
1300-1400 daily on 9960 kHz via Tashkent
2000-2100 daily on 7610 kHz via Tashkent
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| 20th Anniversary of National Unity Radio 2005-2025 |
National Unity Radio
Formerly known as Radio Free Chosun, a U.S. Congress-funded NGO coalition, Unification Media Group (UMG), rebranded as National Unity Radio in October 2015. Its broadcasts, aimed at North Korea, include news, educational, cultural, and entertainment content. Potential reductions in Congress funding could once again impact its operations.
1200-1500 daily on 7235 kHz via Tamsui, Taiwan
2000-2100 daily on 5900 kHz via Tamsui, Taiwan
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| National Unity Radio - Frequencies and times (in Korean local time!) |
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| Announcers preparing for a broadcast from North Korea Reform Radio |
North Korea Reform Radio
Founded in December 2007 by Kim Seung-chul, a North Korean defector, North Korea Reform Radio aims to challenge the regime’s information monopoly by providing uncensored external news, analysis, and discussion to audiences inside North Korea. Kim Seung-chul states that the programs focus on North Korean elites, intellectuals, university students, and leaders. The idea is that exposing these groups to reformist ideas, liberalization models, and international perspectives can inspire change.
Typical content includes current affairs talk shows, leadership programmes, comparisons of socialist reform experiences, and news “unfiltered” by North Korean state censorship. Previously, broadcasts have been produced by the NGO “North Korea Development Institute” (NKDI), funded by the U.S. foundation “National Endowment for Democracy” under U.S. Congress grants. This is another broadcaster that may struggle to continue without ongoing funding.
1400-1500 daily and 2000-2100 daily on 7590 kHz via Tashkent
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| A shot from the control room of North Korean Reform Radio |
Furusato no Kaze and Nippon no Kaze/Ilbon no Baram (Japan Wind)
These broadcasts are managed by the Japanese government’s “Headquarters for the Abduction Issue,” which oversees cases involving Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea between 1977 and 1983. Furusato no Kaze (“Hometown Wind”) is a programme broadcast for Japanese-speaking abductees, their families in Japan, and both domestic and international Japanese audiences.
Nippon no Kaze/Ilbon-ui Baram (“Japan Wind”) is a version of the same programme but in Korean, designed for North Korean audiences—particularly abductees inside North Korea who may understand Korean—to reach those who might not understand Japanese. The broadcasts began on July 2007 and use multiple transmitters (Paochung and Tamsui in Taiwan, and Tashkent in Uzbekistan) to extend coverage within North Korea. Frequencies and times vary frequently, so it’s best to check online schedules for current broadcast times.
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| Promotional stickers from Shiokaze (Sea Breeze) Radio |
Shoikaze (Sea Breeze)
Since October 2005, Shiokaze has been produced by the private “Investigation Commission on Missing Japanese Probably Related to North Korea” (COMJAN) and aims to reach Japanese citizens believed to have been abducted to North Korea between 1977 and 1983.
It can be confusing to distinguish between Shiokaze (Sea Breeze) and Furusato no Kaze/Nippon no Kaze. While they share similar goals, especially regarding the Japanese abduction issue and outreach to North Korea, their producers, institutional support, and some of their content and focus differ. Broadcasts are in Korean, Japanese, and English and are transmitted from the large Japanese facility at Yamata. Frequencies and times change frequently, so check online schedules for current broadcast times.
Voice of the Martyrs Korea
Voice of the Martyrs Korea (often shortened to VOMK) is a Christian ministry that beams into North Korea. The government does not sponsor it; it operates independently, funded by private donors and Christian networks. Its radio programming is part of a broader ministry that includes Bible distribution (using balloons and ground methods), support for defectors, and discipleship training.
VOMK broadcasts five times a day, each for 30 minutes, into North Korea. For security and effectiveness, VOMK must regularly change frequencies and times to avoid jamming or interference by North Korean authorities. The station monitors its own broadcasts for jamming or interference and employs “quick-response countermeasures” to maintain a clear signal.
The programs include various types of Christian content, such as Bible readings in the Chosun (North Korean) dialect, often delivered by North Korean voice actors, along with drama and storytelling. Occasionally, there are “live” segments or more conversational styles where announcers share their own experiences, making the content feel more personal and relatable.
The station reports that a large part of its broadcasts are received clearly. For instance, their “Year-end Summary” for 2024 noted that over 50% of broadcasts during autumn were heard without jamming, and very few were “substantially jammed.” While exact audience figures within North Korea are difficult to verify, some sources estimate that about 10% of the North Korean population may have been exposed to its broadcasts, according to confidential radio industry sources. Such claims might be questionable!
Recently, broadcasts have been transmitted from Tashkent at 1200-1230, 1330-1400, 1530-1600, and 2100-2130 UTC, or via the Reach Beyond transmitters at Kununurra, Western Australia, from 0930 to 1000 UTC. Check online sources for the latest frequency updates (and expect changes!).
Revival Broadcasting System (RBS)
The Revival Broadcasting System is another “unofficial” shortwave Christian or religious broadcast aimed at North Korea. It describes itself with a rough translation as “RBS North-Korean Revival & Unification Broadcast.” The station makes a modest contribution to the shortwave scene, transmitting only on two days (Tuesday and Friday) from 1400 to 1430 UTC on 9470 kHz via Tamsui, Taiwan, using 300 kW.
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| Voice of Wilderness is part of Cornerstone Ministries International (CMI) |
Voice of Wilderness
Another minor shortwave presence is the Voice of Wilderness, produced by the South Korean branch of Cornerstone Ministries International (USA). It airs daily from 1400 to 1530 on either 7610v or 9335 kHz via Tashkent, using 100 kW.
Other Players in the Korean Space
BBC operates Korean services through transmitter sites in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Radio Japan continues to provide extensive Korean programming via its powerful Yamata transmitters. CRI broadcasts six hours of Korean content for its Korean neighbors on 5965 and 7290 kHz. KNLS, located at Anchor Point, Alaska, offers two hours of daily coverage to the Korean Peninsula. Adventist World Radio airs daily in Korean via their KSDA station at Facpi Point, Guam. KTWR has beamed Korean broadcasts through their Merizo, Guam transmitters for many years, but this site closed towards the end of October. They now continue Korean broadcasts through Reach Beyond, FEBC, and transmitter sites at Tashkent and Tajikistan.
References:
• Mount Evelyn DX Report – http://medxr.blogspot.com
• Now on the Radio - https://radio.chobi.net
• North Korea Has Scored a Major Victory in the Battle Against Information - Martyn Williams - https://www.38north.org/
• Spy Agency Suspends Propaganda Broadcasts into N. Korea - https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news
• South Korea stops decades-old propaganda broadcast into North Korea to ease tensions - https://https://www.straitstimes.com/
• South stops loudspeaker broadcasts to North as administration aims to relieve tensions - https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/
• South Korea adjusts some radio frequencies to escape jamming - https://www.northkoreatech.org/
• South Korea halts propaganda broadcasts along border with rival North in a move to ease tensions - https://apnews.com/
• South and North Korea end propaganda broadcasts aimed at one another - https://english.hani.co.kr/
• S. Korea not to resume anti-NK propaganda broadcasts unless Pyongyang does first: official - https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/
• Farewell, Pyongyang Broadcasting? - https://www.38north.org/
• North Korea will no longer pursue reconciliation with South because of hostility, Kim Jong Un says - https://www.abc.net.au/news/
• South Korea suspends anti-North Korea radio broadcasts - https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/
• Military Halts "Voice of Freedom" Broadcasts to North Korea After 15 Years as Part of Tension-Easing Measures - https://www.asiae.co.kr/en/
• Has There Been a Thaw in the Inter-Korean Radio War? - https://www.radioworld.com/global/
• A North Korean voice Kim Jong-un would love to silence - https://www.theage.com.au/
• Voice of the Martyrs - https://vomkorea.com/en/
And so we come to the end of Part 2 of
The Changing Korean Broadcasting Landscape.
👉👉 CLICK HERE FOR PART 1 👈👈
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© Rob Wagner, Mount Evelyn DX Report, and contributors 2012-2026
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