EU funds anti-Pyongyang radio
(Via. ROK Drop)
SEOUL, March 24 (Yonhap) — The European Union (EU) and an international group of journalists forged a deal on Tuesday to provide 400 million won (US$290,000) to help anti-Pyongyang radio broadcasting stations run mostly by defectors from North Korea.
The EU and the Reporters sans Frontiers (RSF) signed the deal with three stations — Free North Korea Radio, Open Radio for Korea and Radio Free Chosun — in Seoul to fund their programs for the next three years.
The stations have been producing and sending shortwave anti-communism and human rights radio broadcasts across the border. In the past, North Korea has asked South Korea to suspend the stations, calling them an obstacle to unification.
“In South Korea, there is a need for much support,” RSF spokesman Vincent Brossel said, citing that Seoul’s 2009 budget earmarked for promoting North Korean human rights stood at 190 million won.
Battling for the minds of North Koreans is as important as any hard power deterrent. Even a station that broadcast apolitical content like music can have a huge impact on ordinary North Koreans.
People say knowledge is power. In a totalitarian regime, all knowledge is power.
Good on the EU – I am happy for my tax money to be spent on this. Surprised I haven’t come across this in any of the broadsheet EU papers that I read, but have to learn about it from an American blog!
Hope they are managing to broadcast on a frequency that normal people can pick up with a normal radio.
Comment by Cordelia, on April 4th, 2009 at 10:32 am