Officially called the Republic of Korea, South Korea is a country in East Asia that continually catches the world's attention. Known for its food, technological advancements, cultural sites, natural beauty, and most importantly K-POP, South Korea is responsible for the western interest in Korean culture.
The national broadcast of South Korea, the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) was founded in 1927 and is currently one of the "leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters".
The KBS operates seven radio networks across South Korea and operates KBS World which provides television, radio, and online services in twelve different languages.
KBS World Radio is accessible via FM/AM satellite radio, online, mobile, and social media. But KBS has decided to represent more than just a radio broadcasting service to its listeners.
Because of the global interest in Korean culture, KBS has decided to use its platform to educate about Korean culture and represent Korea's viewpoints and values, as well as expand its audience by including different languages for resident foreigners residing in Korea (such as English, Japanese, French, Chinese, and Spanish).
KBS World has established several programs on air and via social and mobile media to teach the Korean language to those who are interested. Their vision and mission statement highlights their dedication to educating and encouraging the worldwide spread of Korean culture.
KBS functions similarly to the radio stations in America, featuring top songs of the week/month/year, with K-POP music remaining the predominant music genre. KBS also promotes its services on social media, as well as hosting festivals, concerts, and talk-show segments to its shows to attract a greater audience.
There is definitely a modern touch to South Korean radio services, but censorship is still a prevalent practice in South Korean media. The South Korean government has control over censorship in all media that can reach large audiences in the Republic of Korea (such as radio, television, and print media).
While South Korea still uses censorship in mass media, it is very different from its northern neighbor, which enforces strict rules and regulations within its media.
One of the most extremely censored countries in the world, the North Korean government is able to take strict control over communications. Every single media outlet is owned and controlled by the North Korean government. Within these media outlets, political propaganda is heavily promoted. Radio broadcasting and television are significant ways the government distributes propaganda, and each television and radio set is preset to only receive government frequencies.
The Voice of Korea is the "international broadcasting service of North Korea". The broadcasts are commonly used on shortwave radio frequencies, as well as medium waves for the broadcasts aimed towards neighboring countries (South Korea).
The Korean Peninsula is one of the busiest places for radio signals. South Korea and North Korea continually jam each other's radio and television waves.
South Korea jams North Korean broadcasts in an attempt to preserve the National Security Act, which states it is illegal to tune in or publish frequencies of North Korean broadcasts. While citizens cannot be punished for privately listening to North Korean broadcasts, the regulations exist to monitor "public listening or distribution of recordings of an anti-government organization".
The South Korean government attempts to jam North Korean broadcasts by broadcasting its own jamming sounds (warbling noises), but only a few North Korean broadcasts are slightly jammed using this method. North Korea operates its radio broadcasts on higher transmission power, making it difficult to entirely block broadcasts from them.
Since radios in North Korea are pre-set to government frequencies, it is almost impossible for foreign transmissions to pass its borders. Although it is illegal for North Koreans to listen to anything other than government-approved programs, North Korea does not jam commercial South Korean broadcasts.
There are several broadcasting services that are dedicated to delivering messages to those trapped in North Korea, encouraging them to flee the country. Free North Korea Radio is a group that focuses on providing radio broadcasts to North Koreans. The broadcasts include instructions on how to safely flee the country, led by North Korean refugees and defectors.
Other groups like BBC World Service have also launched broadcasts in Korea to help those stuck but were quickly sought out and shut down by the North Korean government.
Conclusion
South Korean radio broadcasting represents a similar distribution to American radio broadcasting, focusing on popular music trends, as well as utilizing social and mobile media to connect with a larger audience. South Korean broadcasts also encourage foreign listeners to learn about South Korean culture, creating a welcoming platform to educate others about the South Korean language and culture.
There is still government interference in broadcasting in South Korea, restricting complete freedom of speech, with the intention to limit North Korean propaganda in the country.
North Korean government oversees all media content in an effort to maintain obedience within the country. They follow their own political agenda and severely punish those who attempt to listen to anything else. North Korea violates freedom of thought and expression, directly connected to their restrictive censorship and government control.
Comments
Post a Comment