{"id":7357,"date":"2013-09-21T08:16:36","date_gmt":"2013-09-21T12:16:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=7357"},"modified":"2013-09-21T08:16:36","modified_gmt":"2013-09-21T12:16:36","slug":"shortwave-radio-the-secret-item-found-in-many-north-korean-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/09\/shortwave-radio-the-secret-item-found-in-many-north-korean-homes\/","title":{"rendered":"Shortwave radio: the secret item found in many North Korean homes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"de321dial\"<\/a>I’m not surprised to find that North Korean\u00a0families hide shortwave radios. After all, if it’s well hidden, and listened to privately, there is no way the government can monitor what is heard on shortwave, nor trace it back to the family listening. This is what separates radio from the Internet and mobile devices:<\/p>\n

(Source: New Focus International<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Many North Korean families keep a secret item at home, whose discovery may lead to harsh punishment. Away from prying eyes and in the privacy of their homes, North Koreans enjoy using items forbidden by the state, according to North Koreans who have recently escaped from the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn every North Korean home, there is at least one secret item\u201d says Jung Young-chul* (age 34), who left Korea in 2012. He had a short-wave radio in the house and the family would secretly listen to South Korean broadcasts. To avoid being caught, they kept the radio hidden under a container for keeping rice.<\/p>\n

They were not the only ones with a hidden radio. Jung explains, \u201cOnce, a friend described a story that I had heard the night before while listening to a South Korean broadcast. I brought it up with him one night in drink, and he confided that his family too had a radio. We laughed about it together.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Continue reading<\/a>…<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you want to hear North Korean propaganda on shortwave radio (via the Voice of Korea), check here for the latest schedule<\/a> or even\u00a0listen to this recent recording<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This post tagged in the category: Why shortwave radio?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m not surprised to find that North Korean\u00a0families hide shortwave radios. After all, if it’s well hidden, and listened to privately, there is no way the government can monitor what is heard on shortwave, nor trace it back to the family listening. This is what separates radio from the Internet and mobile devices: (Source: New […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[56,869,43,1167],"tags":[474,1050,4082,84],"class_list":["post-7357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-broadcasters","category-clandestine","category-shortwave-radio","category-whats-on-shortwave","tag-north-korea","tag-north-korea-shortwave","tag-shortwave-radio","tag-why-shortwave-radio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-1UF","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14683,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/09\/the-vital-role-of-radio-in-north-korea\/","url_meta":{"origin":7357,"position":0},"title":"The vital role of radio in North Korea","author":"Thomas","date":"September 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Ulis, who recently shared a link to this story in the DailyNK. Here's an excerpt: In the case of loudspeaker broadcasts, which roiled the North, eventually leading to artillery fire, it can only be heard 25km into the North from the demilitarized zone, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"North-Korea-Propaganda","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/North-Korea-Propaganda.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":27080,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/radioworld-radio-reaches-blocked-countries\/","url_meta":{"origin":7357,"position":1},"title":"RadioWorld: Radio Reaches Blocked Countries","author":"Thomas","date":"July 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: RadioWorld via Southgate ARC) International radio remains the most reliable, robust source of information for people in some nations North Korea is rated as the second most censored county in the world after Eritrea, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. North Koreans who are caught accessing information not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "International Broadcasting"","block_context":{"text":"International Broadcasting","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/international-broadcasting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/AM-Dial-Digital-Grundig-Mediumwave-MW-lg-1024x623.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/AM-Dial-Digital-Grundig-Mediumwave-MW-lg-1024x623.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/AM-Dial-Digital-Grundig-Mediumwave-MW-lg-1024x623.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3237,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/04\/north-korea-relying-on-shortwave-radio-listeners-to-verify-upcoming-satellite-launchorbit\/","url_meta":{"origin":7357,"position":2},"title":"North Korea relying on shortwave radio listeners to verify upcoming satellite launch\/orbit","author":"Thomas","date":"April 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"NBC News space analyst, James Oberg, will be attending the launch of North Korea's latest controversial satellite launch in person. As he points out, though, it will be shortwave radio listeners who first verify the success of the launch: (Source: MSNBC) The history of the first two North Korean satellite\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/NorthKoreaRocket-300x237.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17382,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/02\/bbc-to-launch-korean-news-service-via-shortwave-in-fall-2016\/","url_meta":{"origin":7357,"position":3},"title":"BBC to launch Korean news service via shortwave in fall 2016","author":"Thomas","date":"February 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: KBS World Radio via Andrea Borgnino) The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) will launch a shortwave radio service to North Korea this fall. A BBC insider said the British government has given final approval to the public broadcaster's plan to broadcast news to North Korea and has even earmarked a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"(Image source: BBC)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/BBC-Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/BBC-Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/BBC-Headquarters.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10339,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/07\/voa-and-rfa-via-homemade-radios-in-north-korea\/","url_meta":{"origin":7357,"position":4},"title":"VOA and RFA via homemade radios in North Korea","author":"Thomas","date":"July 24, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Anil, for sharing this article regarding the importance and inspiration radio provides to many North Koreans. This comes from our favorite North Korea independent news site, NK News. Here's a quote from the article from a North Korean defector known as\u00a0\"Park\": \u201cI have been\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Clandestine"","block_context":{"text":"Clandestine","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/clandestine\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"FlagNorthKorea","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/FlagNorthKorea1-300x215.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17877,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/north-korea-intensifies-shortwave-jamming\/","url_meta":{"origin":7357,"position":5},"title":"North Korea intensifies shortwave jamming","author":"Thomas","date":"March 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: DailyNK via Andrea Borgnino) North Korea has been from the beginning of March continually signal jamming radio broadcasts on the shortwave frequency used by the South Korean non-profit broadcaster Unification Media Group (UMG). Given the present situation, in which North Korean residents might be influenced by outside information condemning\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"FlagNorthKorea","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/FlagNorthKorea1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7357"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7357\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}