A recent analysis reveals that radio broadcasts aimed at psychological warfare against North Korea have fallen by approximately 80%. This decline follows the discontinuation of U.S. broadcasts targeting North Korea during the Trump administration, followed by the South Korean government’s recent decision to suspend its own transmissions.
On Tuesday, 38 North, a U.S.-based media outlet specializing in North Korean affairs, reported a significant drop in daily broadcast time to North Korea, decreasing from 415 hours earlier this year to just 89 hours at present.
In March, as part of his initiative of shrinking the size of the federal government, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to minimize the functions of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). This move effectively dismantled North Korea-focused broadcasters such as Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA), which had operated under USAGM.
Furthermore, the Lee Jae-myung administration in South Korea, in line with its policy of easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, has suspended several broadcasts previously transmitted to North Korea by the National Intelligence Service of South Korea. These include Echo of Hope, Voice of the People, K-News, and Radio Free Korea, all of which ceased operations this month.
38 North noted that Echo of Hope and Voice of the People, operated by the National Intelligence Service of South Korea since 1973 and the mid-1980s respectively, had never halted broadcasts regardless of the political climate between North and South Korea. The outlet warned that if tensions on the peninsula escalate, both the U.S. and South Korea might come to regret losing this direct line of communication with North Korean citizens.
The report suggested that the North Korean Workers’ Party, which has long battled the influx of uncensored information, might find it hard to believe its current stroke of luck. 38 North described the cessation of these broadcasts as a victory for North Korea in the realm of information warfare.
According to 38 North, earlier this year there were 11 propaganda radio stations broadcasting to North Korea at 11 PM—a time chosen to ensure optimal reception by North Korean listeners. Now, only five such stations remain operational.
The remaining active broadcasters include KBS Hanminjok Radio and the South Korean Ministry of Defense’s Voice of Freedom. Additionally, the BBC World Service continues to air for 30 minutes daily, while private organizations such as Free North Korea Radio, North Korea Reform Radio, and Unification Media Group operate for approximately 2 to 3 hours each day.
