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Korean-language broadcasting in China
In several regions along North Korea’s northern border with China, Korean-language programming from Chinese broadcasters is available on television and radio. Unlike programming such as Voice of America, Radio Free Asia or KBS Social Radio, these broadcasts are not intended for reception in North Korea but for the large number of Korean speakers who live…
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North Korea on agenda at Nuclear Security Summit
North Korea’s recent nuclear tests and provocations were high on the agenda on Thursday when President Obama met the leaders of China, South Korea and Japan at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C. The comments aren’t surprising, especially given the united front against North Korea at the U.N. Security Council, but the summit is a…
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North Koreans learn about China’s Beidou satellite navigation system
Engineers from North Korea and seven other nations are being given training in technology related to China’s Beidou (Compass) satellite navigation system this week, according to Chinese media reports. The engineers are attending a course in Hubei province being put on by the National Remote Sensing Center. The organization is part of China’s Ministry of Science and…
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Kerry pushes China on DPRK sanctions
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry took the opportunity of a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to push the Chinese government to do a little more to enforce sanctions against North Korea. Speaking at a joint news conference after the meeting, Kerry said they discussed “the importance of enforcing UN Security Council resolutions that…
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Chinese shops offer cheap cellphones to North Koreans
Shops in cities on the Chinese side of the border are attempting to tempt North Koreans with cheap cellphones for use on their country’s mobile phone network, according to a report by Radio Free Asia. The phones are on sale for about half the price they would fetch in North Korea, but are attracting few…
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North Koreans gaining more access to foreign media, says report
Cracks in the information wall that has long surrounded North Korea are increasingly allowing citizens in the country more exposure to foreign media, according to a report published on Thursday. The report, produced by Intermedia for the U.S. Department of State, was based on surveys of several hundred defectors, refugees and travelers, and found “substantial…
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Kim Jong Il on tour in China
Kim Jong Il’s tour of China at the end of May saw the North Korean leader take in several high-tech factories and companies. China Central Television (CCTV) broadcast a comprehensive report on the visit (aired after Kim had left Beijing) and provided details on some of the tour stops. They included Yangzhou Smart Valley, the…
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KCNA reporting Chinese Internet filtering
North Korea’s official news agency, KCNA, has reported three times in the past week on China’s filtering of the Internet. The reports come at an interesting time for free-speech online. Internet-based social networks and communications systems are being hailed as instrumental in protests that have toppled two Middle Eastern leaders and the U.S. has confirmed…
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How Chinese cell phones help information flow
Bloomberg Businessweek has a story on the Chinese cell phones in use in North Korea along the border region. It estimates around 1,000 people use such phones to keep in touch with relatives and associates in China, South Korea and elsewhere. Because the cell phones connect to Chinese cell phone towers it’s difficult for the…
