For seven years, Kim Seongmin has battled cancer that has metastasized to his lungs, brain, and liver. Recently, doctors informed him that he has only months to live and that he requires painkillers to sleep at night.
Despite his health challenges, Mr. Kim broadcasts into North Korea twice daily, providing its citizens with news and information that the regime's strict censorship laws deny them. He has described North Korea's situation as keeping its people “like frogs trapped in a deep well,” emphasizing the importance of his broadcasts to help them understand the flaws in their political system.
For two decades, North Korean defectors residing in South Korea have sought to infiltrate the North with foreign news and entertainment, utilizing methods such as balloons floated across the border and broadcasts from stations like Mr. Kim’s Free North Korea Radio.
However, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has intensified crackdowns on what he perceives as “anti-socialist and nonsocialist” influences that could undermine his authoritarian control. The regime has instituted severe measures, including public executions for those consuming foreign content or exhibiting South Korean traits.
In recent months, North Korea has reinforced its military posture beyond the Korean Peninsula by sending troops and weapons to Russia in support of its war against Ukraine. Concurrently, the regime is strengthening defenses against foreign influences within its borders.
Measures taken include constructing additional barriers along the border with China and issuing shoot-to-kill orders to soldiers to prevent refugee outflow and smuggling of goods and information. The regime has also dismantled transportation routes to South Korea, asserting a disinterest in reunification, while enacting strict new censorship laws.
Adm. Kim Myung-soo, chairman of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, highlighted the regime's fear of external influences during a recent parliamentary session.
This year, North Korea labeled foreign content from the South as “filth” and retaliated by sending balloons filled with trash across the border and broadcasting unsettling noises.
Mr. Kim, who founded Free North Korea Radio, fled North Korea in 1995 after a dangerous escape from China, where he had been arrested. He established the radio station in 2004, becoming a pioneer in broadcasting into the North.
His station has reported on international condemnation of North Korea's military activities and has provided a platform for North Korean female veterans to share their experiences of sexual violence within the military. The broadcasts have also informed North Koreans about disparities in living conditions between the North and South.
Mr. Kim gathers information from informants in North Korea who use Chinese prepaid SIM cards to access outside communication. He has previously reported significant events, including the execution of Kim Jong-un’s uncle, before it was confirmed by state media.
Despite the risks, the demand for foreign entertainment and news among North Koreans has increased, particularly among younger generations who rely more on unofficial markets than on state provisions. While it is difficult for Mr. Kim to quantify his audience, defectors indicate that many manipulate their radio and television devices to access South Korean broadcasts.
Various organizations, including Free North Korea Radio, Radio Free Asia, and North Korea Reform Radio, strive to break the information blockade established by the North Korean regime.
Internal North Korean documents have revealed that the regime is particularly concerned about the influence of foreign content on younger citizens, describing it as a malignant presence threatening the socialist system. Notably, thousands of students have reportedly surrendered to authorities for viewing “impure” videos.
Under recent laws, individuals found watching, possessing, or distributing South Korean content face severe penalties, including lengthy labor camp sentences, while those distributing content could face execution.
The regime's crackdown has significantly reduced the flow of outside information, with estimates suggesting a 70 percent decrease, although some North Koreans are finding ways to circumvent censorship.
Mr. Kim operates from a studio in Seoul and has faced numerous threats, including from South Koreans who accuse him of inciting tensions with the North. He has received anonymous threats, including packages containing dead animals and other menacing items. Despite these dangers, he continues his work, having recently received a citizen’s medal from the South Korean government for his contributions.
Lee Si-young, a fellow defector and staff member, expressed that Mr. Kim's broadcasts serve as a beacon of hope for North Koreans. Mr. Kim has stated he is content knowing that his legacy will continue through the younger defectors he has mentored.
“I will die a happy man,” he commented, reflecting on the impact of his work.