Radio Free Chosun [RFC] and Open Radio for North Korea [ONK], shortwave radio stations targeting North Korea; are teaming up with The Daily NK, an internet periodical reporting on all aspects of North Korea; and OTV, an NGO-based internet television channel; to form the “first ever unification broadcasting station for both North and South Koreans.” The consortium, known as Unification Media Group [UMG], will host its opening event in Seoul on November 26th.

The kickoff event is scheduled to take place at 2p.m. in the third seminar room of the National Assembly, where the group plans to outline the goals of the organization while explaining how both the government and citizens of South Korea can help achieve them. 

As part of these efforts, RFC and ONK, both in operation since 2005, aim to reach one million residents of North Korea in the next five years. By reaching 10% of North Korea’s adult population, the broadcasts will provide residents access to international information aimed at instilling them with notions of a democratic society, enabling them to contribute to the eventual unification of the two Koreas. UGM maintains that these one million people will change the face of North Korean society dramatically.

Securing a medium wave frequency is paramount to achieving this goal, as these private radio broadcasts are currently only able to reach about 1-3% of North Korea’s population. The South Korean government has taken a noncommittal approach in providing an AM frequency for these stations to broadcast to the North, and as a result, low-powered signals borrowed from other transmitters are being employed, resulting in a relatively narrow reach.

Upon the designation of an AM frequency with the support of the South Korean government, UMG plans to develop a transmission station capable of broadcasting to the entire peninsula, centered on fostering social consensus around unification matters. 

Beginning at the beginning of 2015, the consortium will feature TV, radio, and newsroom components to broadcast news from inside North Korea to residents in both Koreas. The television leg of the group will focus predominantly on unification issues and policies.

Many of the venture’s promoters are scheduled to attend the event, including Ryu Keun Il, former chief editor of the Chosun Ilbo and former KBS board president; Park Beom Jin, chairman of the board of directors for the Future Policy Research Institute; Ahn Byeong Jik, Seoul National University professor emeritus, and a number of other intellectuals and North Korean experts from the Korean community both domestically and abroad.