Tag Archives: Voice of Korea

Propaganda from the source: Listening to the Voice of Korea on shortwave radio

One of the countries dominating the headlines of global news lately is North Korea. As Kim Jong-un raises tensions and rattles his nuclear saber, the rest of the world is attempting to determine if this is a egotistical show of power for the benefit of all observers (as with previous leaders) or if there is real intention behind the rhetoric.

Just this morning Pyongyang has warned that Tokyo would be a primary strike target if war were to break out, or if their test missile is downed; they’ve even moved their missile launch pad into position.

Regardless of outcome of these provocations, I know that the bulk of the North Korean population will suffer. North Korean mainstream “news” consists of images of military parades in the immaculate capital city of Pyongyang; but the reality is that most of the population live in rural North Korea, which is subject to severe food shortages and extreme poverty.

We know North Korea is a country that carefully controls and manipulates their media internally; they also broadcast the same flavor of propaganda externally on shortwave radio via the Voice of Korea.

As shortwave radio listeners, we have the distinct advantage of being able to listen directly to the case of North Korea. We can actually hear (and analyze for ourselves) the North Korea propaganda directly from the source. Note that it’s not uncommon for the Voice of Korea to unexpectedly go off air, likely due to power shortages: this fact is much more suggestive of the of general conditions in the country than the “news” itself.

Depending on where you live in the world, your ability to hear the (relatively weak) Voice of Korea will vary. If you live in the Asia/Pacific region, the station is very audible.

Yesterday morning at 10:00 UTC, I recorded an hour of their English broadcast to South America on 11.71 MHz. You can download an mp3 of the recording by clicking here, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Below, you’ll find the current broadcast schedule for the Voice of Korea English service courtesy of North Korea Tech:

VOK English (time in UTC)

04:00 on 7220, 9445, 9730 kHz to Northeast Asia
04: 00 on 11735, 13760, 15180 kHz to Central & South America
05:00 on 13650, 15105 kHz to Southeast Asia
06:00 on 7220, 9445, 9730 kHz to Northeast Asia
10:00 on 11710, 15180 kHz to Central & South America
10:00 on 11735, 13650 kHz to Southeast Asia
13:00 on 13760, 15245 kHz to Western Europe
13:00 on 9435, 11710 kHz to North America
15:00 on 13760, 15245 kHz to Western Europe
15:00 on 9435, 11710 kHz to North America
16:00 on 9890, 11645 kHz to Near & Middle East; North Africa
18:00 on 13760, 15245 kHz to Western Europe
19:00 on 7210, 11910 kHz to South Africa
19:00 on 9875, 11635 kHz to Near & Middle East; North Africa
21:00 on 13760, 15245 kHz to Western Europe

For a full schedule of the Voice of Korea, please visit this page on North Korea Tech.

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Reader Chris shares travel recordings: Voice of Mongolia, Korea

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Map pointing to Truk Lagoon (Source: truk-lagoon.com)

SWLing Post reader, Chris Johnson, recently sent me a message confessing his love of travel combined with shortwave radio listening. When he told me about his enviable plans to travel to the tiny islands of Truk Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia–and to record some of the broadcasts he heard–I asked if he would allow me to share his recordings on the Post. Fortunately for us, he agreed!

Below are two of his recordings, the first from the Voice of Mongolia, the second from the Voice of Korea. Both happen to be very difficult stations to catch here in eastern North America. His comments follow each recording:

Voice of Mongolia Shortwave Broadcast to Asia and Europe. Using a Sony ICF-SW7600G with a whip antenna. Recorded on 29 January 2013 at 1030z on 12085 khz from the Blue Lagoon Resort, Truk Lagoon, Federated States of Micronesia. The broadcast interval signal begins at 1:35

Voice of Korea; Recorded on a Sony ICF-SW7600G using a whip antenna. 7 February 2013 on 15100 khz at 0500z Location; Puka Beach, Boracay Island, Philippines. The program was scheduled for 60 minutes but due to the frequent power outages in the DPRK, the program ceased at approximately 52 minutes.

Thanks, Chris!

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North Korea updates transmitters and jamming ability

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(Source: Daily NK)

The North Korean authorities are in the process of replacing their existing shortwave radio transmitters, Daily NK has learned. The measure appears designed to both allow better broadcasts targeting South Korea and stop outside shortwave broadcasts entering.

According to the Northeast Asian Broadcasting Institute (NABI), the authorities made their first move in March this year, replacing the shortwave transmission equipment at Kanggye Transmission Station in Jagang Province with modern equipment made by Beijing BBEF Electronics Group Co. Kanggye Transmission Station is one of three high output shortwave transmission facilities in North Korea, with the other two being at Pyongyang and in Gujang County, North Pyongan Province. […]

North Korea has two shortwave broadcasters; Chosun Central 1st Broadcast and Pyongyang Broadcast. The first is for the domestic and international audience while the latter serves the international audience only, leading to the assumption that North Korea is replacing its existing transmitters in order to improve its broadcasts targeting South Korea. With the sort of modern equipment arriving from BBEF, North Korean broadcasts will be receivable anywhere in South Korea, no matter where in the North they are broadcast from.

According to NABI, North Korea’s shortwave broadcasting capacity was previously very weak due to worn out and broken equipment. Signal strength was particularly weak, meaning that listeners tended to receive a different channel even when tuned directly to the intended broadcast frequency. According to one defector from Pyongyang who arrived in South Korea in June 2011, the signal strength of Chosun Central 1st Broadcast was so weak at times that it was even unlistenable in most regions of North Korea.

However, the quality has recently improved dramatically, as Park Sung Moon of NABI explained to Daily NK, saying, “Recent analysis of North Korea’s shortwave Chosun Central 1st Broadcast and Pyongyang Broadcast reveal that they are being broadcast clearly and consistently, without interference or signal shifting.”[…]

The other side of the coin is that improved shortwave transmission strength stops incoming signals from reaching listeners.

According to one defector who used to be a part of the Party Propaganda and Agitation Department, “They know that when the Chosun Central 1st Broadcast signal strength is weak, it regularly arrives with outside broadcasts mixed in. I think they want to stop this happening.”

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Kim Jong-il is dead, but not Voice of Korea

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This morning, we learned that North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, has died–perhaps as much as two days ago. That’s the difficulty about information coming from countries under totalitarian rule–the “facts” are whatever is decided upon by those in power. North Korea, especially, is known for being secretive and even paranoid about the free flow of information on either side of their borders.

When it comes to radio, North Korea is certainly one of the most informationally-isolated places on our planet. Hence, governments around the world spend a good deal of resources aiming broadcasts at those who live in North Korea. The hope is that in a country where the average citizen doesn’t even know what the internet is, information via radio broadcasts will penetrate the borders, allowing those within the country to hear outside voices, outside opinions, and enjoy (however briefly) the breath of freedom. That’s what I love about radio, specifically the shortwave variety; it has very little regard for national borders and, unlike the internet, listeners can’t be readily traced or tracked–or punished. This is a common theme at the SWLing Post.

Of course, radio information flows both ways, so the Voice of Korea sends its own message to the rest of the world. VOK is–to say the least–an oddity in the international broadcasting community. Its propaganda is pure, its bias is obvious and determined, but it does allow outside listeners to read between the lines, thus getting a glimpse into the rigid, restrictive culture of this state.

So, over the coming days, I challenge you to find Voice of Korea on the radio dial (see frequencies below) and listen to their biased perspective on history in the making. As I’ve suggested, sometimes you learn more about what’s really going on by listening between the rosy lines. For example, today even the VoK website makes no mention of their leader’s death (see this morning’s screen capture); that fact, alone, tells you something about how this event has disrupted their flow of information.

This is what I’ve always loved about shortwave radio and international broadcasting–you can listen to different perspectives, and draw conclusions yourself. It’s your own interpretation of events, thus you’re not entirely reliant upon news media for your views and ideas. Unfortunately, this is becoming a lost art here in the modern world, where people generally find it easier to subscribe to one media outlet and often develop blind faith in the sound bites they receive–a form of self-subscribed propaganda.

So that you can form your own opinions, we’ve provided the Voice of Korea’s full B11 schedule (courtesy of PCJ Media) below. See if you can catch this most interesting (and elusive) DX. Listen carefully…

VOK Pennant (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Voice of Korea B11 Schedule (via PCJ Media)
0100 GMT (10am local) to North East Asia on 7220kHz, 9345kHz and 9730kHz
0100 GMT (10am local) to Central and South America on 11735kHz and 15180kHz
0200 GMT (11am local) to Southeast Asia on 13650kHz and 15100kHz
0300 GMT (12pm local) to North East Asia on 7220kHz, 9345kHz and 9730kHz
1000 GMT (7pm local) to Central and South America on 11710kHz and 15180kHz
1000 GMT (7pm local) to Southeast Asia on 11735kHz and 13650kHz
1300 GMT (10pm local) to Europe on 13760kHz and 15245kHz
1300 GMT (10pm local) to North America on 9335kHz and 11710kHz
1500 GMT (12am local) to Europe on 13760kHz and 15245kHz
1500 GMT (12am local) to North America on 9335kHz and 11710kHz
1600 GMT (1am local) to Near and Middle East, North Africa on 9990kHz and 11545kHz
1800 GMT (3am local) to Europe on 13760kHz and 15245kHz
1900 GMT (4am local) to Southern Africa on 7210kHz and 11910 kHz
1900 GMT (4am local) to Near and Middle East, North Africa on 9975kHz and 11535kHz
2100 GMT (6am local) to Europe on 13760kHz and 15245kHz