Fourteen university broadcasting groups in South Korea merged on 30 April to found a radio programme “Broadcasting without Borders.” The target audience of the program is North Korean citizens. Chief editor Lee In Gun of Dongguk University who was elected as the co-representative for Broadcasting without Borders said, “University students will take the lead in developing culture and bringing change to the Korean Peninsula” and added, “We will continue with our efforts until the day we can freely communicate with people in North Korea.”
A total of 14 universities are participating in Broadcasting Without Borders. Other university organizations in support of Broadcasting Without Borders include Youth and Students Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea, Students Group with Defectors’ Students for Human Rights, and Liberty Student Union.
Mr Lee said, “We plan to collaborate with the other 202 university broadcasting stations as well as gather interest from broadcasting stations throughout high schools” and revealed, “Creating a network of university radio stations is not only for broadcasting to North Korea. We also plan to provide topics of study for North Korean university students.”
On the same day, 30 April, a press conference was held at the National Assembly to urge support from the government. Co-representative, Song Ha Yoon, also representative for the Youth and Students Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea said, “The government must support broadcasting to North Korea through technology” and “laws and funds must also be provided to help organizations broadcast to North Korea.”
Minister Song Young Sun of the Grand National Party said in her congratulatory speech, “Every student in this room has grasped the course of the next generation” and encouraged the students saying, “You will be a great hope to the suffering North Korean people.”
Former representative of the Grand National Party, Park Geun Hae wrote in her congratulatory message, “The voices of all the university students will open the ears and hearts of North Korean people and will be a great asset in discovering liberal democracy as well as achieving human rights.”
Broadcasting without Borders will work in collaboration with Open Radio for North Korea and is planning a public hearing and campaign in petition for governmental support. In addition, plans are being made to conduct surveys in the summer along the Chinese-North Korea border to listeners of North Korea broadcasts to further improve and enhance the quality of radio broadcasting.
Broadcasting without Borders currently broadcasts a 20 minute programme through Open Radio for North Korea, which is on the air every day at 1400 UTC on 7390 kHz.
(Source: The Daily NK/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
