Author: Martyn Williams

  • Voice of Korea mid 2013 full schedule

    Voice of Korea mid 2013 full schedule

    Voice of Korea switched to its mid-2013 broadcasting schedule as of March 31. A couple of days ago I published the frequencies for English-language programs based on my own monitoring, and now we have the full plan for all languages. The broadcasts follow the same basic line-up each day. :00 Opening signal, station identification: “This…

  • State Space Development Bureau established

    State Space Development Bureau established

    Signaling that it intends to pursue space exploration and the launch of more satellites, the DPRK’s parliament on Monday voted to establish a State Space Development Bureau. The Supreme People’s Assembly on Monday also voted into effect a law on space development, reported KCNA without detailing the law. The news was reported by KCNA but there…

  • More attacks pledged on North Korean websites

    People who apparently took part in this weekend’s denial of service attacks against several major North Korean websites have promised there’s more to come. The attacks hit sites including KCNA, Voice of Korea, the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Nations and Air Koryo. They also targeted the Korean Friendship Association’s site although I wasn’t…

  • New Voice of Korea English schedule

    New Voice of Korea English schedule

    North Korea’s external shortwave radio broadcaster, Voice of Korea, joins many of the world’s international broadcasters in switching to a summer frequency schedule on Sunday. Shortwave broadcasts change frequencies numerous times during the day to take advantage of atmospheric conditions that help their broadcasts can reach the intended targets. For this reason, it’s important to…

  • The North-South air traffic control link

    The North-South air traffic control link

    After this week’s decision by North Korea to stop answering a military hotline between border control posts at the Kaesong Industrial Zone, there remains just one known link through which North and South Koreans can still directly speak: an air traffic control connection between Seoul and Pyongyang. The connection, a vital safety link for air…

  • #OpNorthKorea brings more attacks on DPRK websites

    #OpNorthKorea brings more attacks on DPRK websites

    A new round of attacks against North Korean websites began Saturday, causing several to become unavailable. The attacks appear to be part of a loosely coordinated effort by hackers to target North Korean sites after the country’s state-run media said relations with South Korea were “at a state of war.” As of 3pm Korean time…

  • South Korean sites hit by cyber attacks

    South Korean sites hit by cyber attacks

    Several South Korean websites that specialize in reporting on North Korean issues were hit by cyber attackers on Tuesday, they said late the same day. Daily NK and Free North Korea Radio both confirmed the attacks in articles posted on their sites. They were said to begin at 2pm local time (0500 UTC) and resulted…

  • Mobile Internet service reportedly stopped for tourists

    Mobile Internet service reportedly stopped for tourists

    Well, that didn’t last for long. Short-term tourists entering the DPRK can no longer get mobile Internet service, according to Koryo Tours. “3G access is no longer available for tourists to the DPRK. Sim cards can still be purchased to make international calls but no internet access is available,” the Beijing-based North Korean tourism specialist…

  • Voice of Korea dumps own player, adopts Flash

    The website of Voice of Korea, the DPRK’s international shortwave radio service, has dumped its proprietary software player. The site previously required use of the player by users to hear its audio clips posted online (see, right), but that’s not now the case. Users can now listen with Flash, and that opens the audio up…

  • More IPs found in hacking probe, but they might mean nothing

    More IPs found in hacking probe, but they might mean nothing

    Investigators looking into last week’s cyber attack on South Korean banks and broadcasters have reportedly found more IP (Internet Protocol) addresses linked to the attacks, but one security expert I spoke to said that might mean nothing. The National Police Agency said it has traced some of the malicious code to addresses in the United…