Millions of North Koreans listen to dozens of foreign radio broadcasts transmitted by the United States, Japan and South Korea and the number is growing. This is according to Peter Beck an Atlantic Council Non-resident Senior Fellow who said that this is quite a phenomenon given that Pyongyang authorities distribute only radios with fixed dials that block foreign broadcasts and imprison citizens caught listening to foreign radio for as long as 10 years.
Mr Beck who is also a Pantech Research Fellow at Stanford University’s Asia Pacific Research Center said that two of the most popular stations are the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia. Mr Beck added that the North Korean regime is losing its monopoly on the control of information and outside broadcasts are undermining loyalty.
(Source: arirang.co.kr)
Andy Sennitt comments: There is no doubt that the number of North Koreans who have access to information from abroad is growing, but I would question whether there are “millions” of North Koreans actually listening to foreign radio broadcasts. What happens is that those who manage to listen spread the information further by word of mouth. I would be interested to know whether Mr Beck has any evidence to back up his claim of mass listenership, or whether it is just wishful thinking.
on Apr 30th, 2010 at 00:11
the Arirang report appears to be sourced from an article in the Wall Street Journal of April 16 which is also republished at the attached link.
http://fsi.stanford.edu/news/north_koreas_radio_waves_of_resistance_20100421/
on Apr 30th, 2010 at 00:54
Well of course, why would N Koreans listen to SW broadcasting?
Is’nt SW old hat?
on Apr 30th, 2010 at 11:56
It is typical Western spoiled audience thinking that SW listening is something no normal people do.
Nothing wrong with SW unless your ears have been addicted to this FM and digital sound - mostly bad processed - and to modern music that requires this since this music is so crap that it has no attraction with a bit limited audio quality.
In N-Korea many people will be very happy with SW, when this gives them content (news) they cannot have from their local broadcaster.
Most people in N-Korea however have to struggle for liife everyday so they hardly bother to go for un-biased news, as I have been told by a friend with radio-background who visited the country.
on Apr 30th, 2010 at 14:18
People around the world wich got a dictatorship as government, wants to have more facts in news media are asking for a info and a SW radio multiband, AM/FM/SW - band 1 -6 is the beast choice. Crank-up radios are smuggling cross the borders in large stocks and very popular. There are allways listners to every news station on SW. More and more portable multiband radios are selling around the world.
on Apr 30th, 2010 at 14:30
Your right Andy. I have heard this claim before made about the DPRK. I’m sure there are some SW radios in the country, but not the millions he said there is.
One way people do get information from overseas is not from radio, but rather from smuggled DVDs of South Korean news programs.
It’s not the 1970s or 80s. We can put the same importance on SW was with the USSR.
on Apr 30th, 2010 at 14:54
They are using internet, what did you think???
on Apr 30th, 2010 at 15:14
Did I say they were using the internet?? I don’t see anything in what I just wrote that said that.
on May 2nd, 2010 at 09:13
hI ALL, I DO HOPE YOU REALISE THAT MY COMMENT WAS VERY MUCH ‘TONGUE IN CHEEK’
I AM A VERY AVID SW LISTENER.