One man’s radio broadcasts into North Korea are garnering increased recognition. Christian Today, an online Christian news source in the United States published an article concerning one of our broadcasters, Kim Chung-seong.
A defector from North Korea who later became a Christian missionary, Kim is now serving as a broadcaster for FEBC where he produces an hourly program each day, heard at 1am. The show, ‘Hello from Seoul’, broadcasts gospel music and news into North Korea, attempting to encourage and give people hope in the midst of an oppressive government run by dictator, Kim Jong-un.
Media is restricted in North Korea. Outside news sources and other forms of information are strictly forbidden. Many citizens still smuggle in TV programs from South Korea on USB sticks or DVDs from China.
Yet, as Robert King, the US special envoy for North Korean human rights issues explained to a Senate panel, up to 29% of North Koreans listen to foreign radio, making it the most important way to get information into the country.
Even so, the very act of listening to a radio in North Korea is extremely dangerous as it could land a person in prison. Kim Chung-seong is also taking a huge risk broadcasting back into his homeland when the very act of defecting can have serious implications on loved ones left behind.
But as Kim told Christian Today on May 31st of this year, he still wants to delegitimize the dictatorship North Korea is currently under and preach the gospel on his show, often with fellow defectors as guests.
“I am not saying everything is bad in North Korea…But, if the party congress is meant to worship one particular person and makes 20 million people slaves to that ruler, it’s meaningless. That’s what I’m talking about on my show,” Kim said.
