Seoul, a TV working for Kim Jong-il
by Joseph Yun Li-sun
Lim Young-sun, the North Korean defector, has put part of the North Korean state television programs online, and broadcast them via satellite. The government of South tolerates this activity for now, considering it useful for unification, but limits the terrestrial signal.
Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The North Korean state television, one of the last examples of propaganda to be found anywhere in the world, has found an unusual antenna system in a deserter of. Lim Young-sun, a soldier who fled from North Korea in 1993, has put together a site that broadcasts praise of the "dear leader" Kim Jong-il and his reign of terror for 7 hours per day.
Although South Korean law prohibits all forms of Pyongyang propaganda, and harshly punishes any perpetrators, for now the Unification Broadcasting is still up and running and transmitting from Seoul. The editor defends his position: "Sooner or later the two Koreas will meet, and then it will be useful to know more about the other side." For now the site - sptv.co.kr - attracts a few thousand users, but Lim dreams of seeing the access of millions of visitors, curious to see how people live beyond the border.
The satellite signal reaches much of Asia, the Middle East and Africa. That terrestrial signal is blocked by the South Korean government, which according to the National Security Act has the power to oppose any form of support for the North. Lim is satisfied with the attitude of Seoul: "We are not approved of by the government, but they tolerate us in order to create a favorable climate for reunification."
Most transmissions are eulogies to the dictator and focus on his rare trips abroad or visits made to the barracks and factories. On the site there are also sections devoted to religion in North Korea and the judgment of China and the United States. These areas are dominated by the iron fist of the regime: freedom of religion does not exist, and Washington is listed as the cause of all evil in the North. For its survival, the television relies on donations from individuals.
The question of reunification is very important for South Korea, divided by the fear of an invasion of North Koreans (uneducated and undernourished) and the desire to welcome these brothers to the other side of the border. The Korean Catholic Church has always been at the forefront on this issue, and through its centers holds courses for preparation for the workplace, language courses and seminars for the South Koreans in an attempt to alleviate the fears of the South. The North Koreans who have fled to the South, however, are still considered the social pariahs.
Although South Korean law prohibits all forms of Pyongyang propaganda, and harshly punishes any perpetrators, for now the Unification Broadcasting is still up and running and transmitting from Seoul. The editor defends his position: "Sooner or later the two Koreas will meet, and then it will be useful to know more about the other side." For now the site - sptv.co.kr - attracts a few thousand users, but Lim dreams of seeing the access of millions of visitors, curious to see how people live beyond the border.
The satellite signal reaches much of Asia, the Middle East and Africa. That terrestrial signal is blocked by the South Korean government, which according to the National Security Act has the power to oppose any form of support for the North. Lim is satisfied with the attitude of Seoul: "We are not approved of by the government, but they tolerate us in order to create a favorable climate for reunification."
Most transmissions are eulogies to the dictator and focus on his rare trips abroad or visits made to the barracks and factories. On the site there are also sections devoted to religion in North Korea and the judgment of China and the United States. These areas are dominated by the iron fist of the regime: freedom of religion does not exist, and Washington is listed as the cause of all evil in the North. For its survival, the television relies on donations from individuals.
The question of reunification is very important for South Korea, divided by the fear of an invasion of North Koreans (uneducated and undernourished) and the desire to welcome these brothers to the other side of the border. The Korean Catholic Church has always been at the forefront on this issue, and through its centers holds courses for preparation for the workplace, language courses and seminars for the South Koreans in an attempt to alleviate the fears of the South. The North Koreans who have fled to the South, however, are still considered the social pariahs.
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