[imText1]Recently, there has been a rapid increase in listeners of the foreign radio broadcastings in North Korea while punishment for listening to the radio other than government broadcastings have loosened.
Lee Young Ho, (pseudonym, age 33) from Chongjin, North Hamkyung province, said, “The number of houses listening to foreign radio around the border area reaches about five or six out of ten. It is easy to catch KBS (Korea Broadcasting System) and Far Eastern Broadcasting, and those who have short-wave radios usually listen to Radio Free Asia.”
“I listened to Open Radio for North Korea around December 10th last year. When I heard that there had been a conference on North Korean human rights, I started to have faith.”
Park Keum Chul, (pseudonym, age 26) said, “I listened to VOA broadcasting. They said it is the Voice of America, but I was surprised to hear that it was in Korean. First I thought it was propagandistic radio, but I liked the content.” He also testified that he has seen some Korean movies such as “The Son of the General”, “Gangster’s Wife” and “Joint Security Area” and Korean soap operas such as “All In.”
Joo Eun Ok, (pseudonym, age 48) from Hyesan, Yangkang province, said, “Those people who do business have to listen to the radio.Otherwise, we will go crazy and feel isolated.”
“When we are caught listening to the radio, they confiscate all the electronics, but they do not go beyond that. Compare to the past, punishment is not as harsh.”
Following is the interview with three North Korean residents mentioned above in full text.
Lee Young Ho, Chongjin, North Hamkyong Province
– How many times did you visit China and for what purpose?
“I visited “North Korea” 5-6 times a year since 1999, when I first defected. During my initial stay in China, Christian evangelists helped me and I converted to Christianity. Now I secretly evangelize in North Korea. Every time I visit North Korea, I take clothes, medicine, the bible and radios missionary organizations donate.”
– Which part of North Korea did you recently visit?
“I went to North Korea on November 23 and came back out on December 20. I went to Onsung, North Hamkyung province, Chongjin, then to Hamheung and Wonsan in South Hamkyung province.”
– Tell us about the North Korean radio.
“In North Korea, you are suspected if you keep a radio to “listen to programs other than the official North Korean one.” Nobody does that. There is no one who will buy a radio just to listen to the single broadcasting from North Korean Central Broadcasting, which has nothing interesting. Most of the radios people have also have recorders. In principle, you have to report your radio to the security office to fix the channel. However, many take off the lock or never even report their radios to the police at all.”
– What is the rate of radio distribution you predict?
“It differs from region to region. Border regions have many more houses that have radios compared to inner regions. This is because many have been to China. Those who have radios with recorders may be about 5 to 6 out of every ten houses. In Chongjin there are about 3 to 4 out of every 10 and in the regions in South Hamkyung, about 1 to 2. Those who are in the city have more than those in rural areas.
I do not know how many of those who possess radios actually listen to them, but the increase in the number of those who possess radios also means an increase in the possibility that more people will listen to them carefully.”
– What do they mostly listen to?
“It is easy to catch KBS and Far Eastern broadcasting. Those who have short-wave radios usually listen to Radio Free Asia. Those who like entertainment listen to KBS and those who have received help from a church in China or have become Christians listen to Far Eastern broadcasting. Those who like listening to recent issues listen to RFA, but it seems like more and more people listen to RFA because KBS is not satisfying.
– People listen to the radio secretly. How do you know what their tastes are?
“Among the people who trust each other, they actually talk about the radio information as well. They talk about which program is better these days, and when and how they listen to it. I have a few people I can trust in each region and they know of other people who listen to the radio.”
– What do you mean by “KBS is not satisfying”?
“Those people more interested in current issues are mostly unsatisfied with the North Korean regime. These days, KBS does not broadcast anything about that issue. Before, many defectors came out on KBS programs and broadcasted content giving hope [laugh] to North Korean people, but not anymore.”
– What do you mean by giving hope?
“It is simply telling the facts about North Korea as it is. When people hear it, they know it is true, they discover the situation they are in, and are encouraged to overcome their difficulties. I listened to Open Radio for North Korea around December 10, which was pretty satisfactory and encouraging in terms of content.”
– Where did you listen to Open Radio for North Korea and what was it about?
“I listened to it around December 10 in Hamheung, South Hamkyung province. I heard that a conference on North Korean human rights was being held and I started to have a lot of hope. Hearing that people outside are working for North Korean human rights encourages us a lot.”
Park Keum Chul, North Hamkyung province
– What is the rate of radio distribution in North Korea?
“I do not know exactly, but I know that many people listen to the radio in secret. When I was in college, 8 people shared one room, the other seven except me were from the border area. They all had a radio each. I listened to the radio with them.”
– Many people report to the police on what others do in North Korea. Is listening to the radio in a group like that not dangerous to you?
“We were young. So we trusted each other. We wrote blood vows and drank our mixed blood and vowed to each other to keep the secret before we listened to the radio together.”
– What did you mainly listen to?
“We listened to anything we could catch on the radio. One of the roommates had a short wave radio made in Japan and that was the best. Another roommate had a radio from South Korea, and that one was pretty good too. We listened to KBS, Voice of Russia, and also VOA. They said it was the Voice of America, but we were surprised to hear that they broadcasted in Korean. At first, we thought it was propaganda from America, but the content was entertaining.”
– Did you listen to the radio recently?
“I was busy after I became a school teacher, but ever since I watched a Korean movie, I became curious about the outside world, so I took out the lock in the radio and listened to the radio for a few months. In my class, there are a few students who are very knowledgeable about outside news and I certainly believe they listen to foreign news on the radio. We don’t ask where they got the information from since we are all in the same situation anyway. In North Korea, there are many cases where you ruin your life because of your tongue (words).”
– Which South Korean movies did you watch?
“I saw “The Son of the General” when I was in college, and recently I watched movies such as “Gangster’s Wife”, “Nowhere to Hide”, and “Joint Security Area” and soap operas such as “Full House” and “All In.” I locked the door and put a double set of curtains and watched them in one night, so the next day I slept the whole day.”
Joo Eun Ok, Hyesan, Yanggang province
– It is said that there has been an increase in the number of people listening to radios in North Korea.
“That is right. Those who own businesses have to listen to the radio. Those people who have returned after visiting China become very curious about the outside world that they become nearly crazy if they don’t listen to the radio. I listen to the radio too.”
– What do you mean by “Those who own businesses have to listen to the radio”?
“These days, if you wish to exchange dollars or Yuan in North Korea you have to know the exact rate. When you hear the exchange rate on the radio, you write it down and remember it. You listen especially carefully about the future aspect, whether it is likely to appreciate or depreciate. When they report the rate of the Yuan increase in South Korea, we also think it will increase in North Korea, so we start to buy the Yuan. That is important for those who run big businesses.”
– What happens when you get caught listening to the radio?
“In the past, you were considered a political criminal. Now, it is not like that. They confiscate all the electronics you have and that’s about it. They take your TV, refrigerator, recorder and also impose some sort of fine. Although this is also a heavy punishment, compared to before, it is not as bad. However, if you are caught on the spot, you are charged of a political crime.”
– How much is the fine?
“It depends. It is like bribing them. You give them some boxes of cigarettes and give them about 15,000 Won, they could say you are OK. They say, “Don’t do it again,” and cough a few times and let you go.”
– Have you seen anyone getting caught recently?
“A man in my People’s Commune got caught last November. He was doing money business (money exchanger), so he had to listen to the radio to check the exchange rate. He gave them some money, and it looks like the problem did get solved.”
