COVER | ONLINE RESOURCES | EXTERNAL RADIO BROADCASTING
External Radio Broadcasting
North Korea operates radio networks that are deliberately aimed at a foreign, rather than a domestic, audience. The majority of these programs are broadcast using mediumwave and shortwave radio, however, in recent years the North Korean’s have also added FM outlets and satellite broadcasting as a means of reaching foreign audiences.
Voice of Korea is the primary external radio network of the DPRK. It is believed that the station operates from studios co-located with the KCBS domestic service at Jeonseung-dong in the Moranbong district of Pyongyang.
Radio Pyongyang, (Pyongyang Pangsong), operates as a semi-domestic Korean language “autonomous region” network intended primarily for Koreans in South Korea, Japan, and China. It is believed that the station operates from studios co-located with the KCBS domestic service at Jeonseung-dong in the Moranbong district of Pyongyang.
The “Echo of Unification” is North Korea's anti-Seoul propaganda radio outlet targeting listeners in South Korea. Pyongyang uses the broadcasts as a significant tool of psychological warfare with the South.
Voice of Korea
Voice of Korea, (조선의 소리), is the primary external radio network of the DPRK. It is believed that the station operates from studios co-located with the KCBS domestic service at Jeonseung-dong in the Moranbong district of Pyongyang. Voice of Korea broadcasts 57 minute long programs primarily in Chinese, Spanish, German, English, French, Russian, Japanese, Arabic and also relays selected Korean language programming from KCBS domestic service and Pyongyang Pangsong.
The first two bars of “The Song of General Kim Il Sung” is played as a tuning signal before each broadcast. The Voice of Korea shortwave frequencies used to propagate programning long distances are mainly transmitted from North Korea's Kujang transmitter site. Medium-wave frequencies from transmitters at North Korean border cities are used for broadcasts targeting near neighboring countries. The station can also be listened to across the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean regions via the Thaicom 6 satellite.
The foundation of all programming is the regime’s propaganda idolization of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un, their supposed wisdom and their activities.
Korean Language Broadcasts for Foreign Koreans
English Language Broadcasts
Other Foreign Language Broadcasts
Voice of Korea Program Distribution System
Every morning North Korea's satellite audio distribution circuits feed a music test; most likely it's purpose is to check that audio levels are correct, and that the programming distribution feeds are operating correctly. This recording was made in the early Pyongyang morning, prior to the start of the regular programming distribution feed used by the Voice of Korea.
The audio circuit abruptly comes alive with approximately 10 minutes of random music that starts mid-song. There is a following period of silence and then an audio test tone signal. Following another period of silence, the first program to be fed on this network each day is the Russian language service of the Voice of Korea.
Echo of Unification
The “Echo of Unification” is North Korea's anti-Seoul propaganda radio outlet targeting listeners in South Korea. Pyongyang uses the broadcasts as a significant tool of psychological warfare with the South.
Transmitting on the medium wave (AM broadcast) band, shortwave and FM frequencies the signal is heavily jammed by the South Korean government.
For the most part, the jamming signals do block the broadcasts from reaching South Korean listeners, but monitoring has found that occasionally during times of unusual natural radio propagation conditions the North Korean broadcast is heard in parts of the country.
The station’s shortwave frequency of 6250 kHz from Pyongyang carries reliably across the Asia-Pacific region and at times is received clearly and often at greater strength than the South Korean jamming signals which can be heard underneath the broadcast.