I have long been an advocate of increasing radio broadcasts into North Korea in order to begin fighting the information war within the country. Radio broadcasts serve as a means to counter all the anti-US propaganda that North Koreans are fed on a daily basis and the effectiveness of these radio broadcasts can be proven by how some North Korean defectors, such as Kang Chol-hwan decided to defect after listening to these broadcasts.

Back in February the US government budgeted more money to fund increased radio broadcasts into North Korea and now the increased broadcasting is becoming a reality:

The United States has stepped up its broadcast towards North Korea.

Radio Free Asia, a U.S.-government-funded broadcaster, said Tuesday that it has started programming for North Koreans, using a medium wave frequency.

The broadcast goes on the air for five hours daily, bringing news covering the Korean Peninsula and commentaries to people in the Stalinist country.

Another external broadcaster, Voice of America, also increased its broadcasting targeted for North Korea to five hours from the previous one.  [KBS Global]

Five hours of broadcasting every day is still to little, but it is a big step up from only broadcasting for one hour every day.  In a sure sign that the increased radio broadcasting is having its desired effect the North Korean regime has tried to jam the broadcasts and is now attacking the ruling South Korean government to stop the broadcasts:

North Korea accused conservatives in South Korea of stepping up "propaganda broadcasting" aimed at fueling cross-border tensions and undermining the communist regime, a state-controlled front said Sunday.

In a communique carried by the (North) Korean Central News Agency, the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland claimed conservatives in the South were using radio broadcasts as a tool to bring down the Pyongyang regime.  [Yonhap]

Such childish attacks by North Korea has worked before with influencing South Korean government policy of the prior Roh Moo-hyun administration, but the new Lee Myung-bak government has shown no signs that such attacks will do anything to influence his administration’s policies, which is a good thing.  Let’s hope these radio broadcasts continue to be successful and that next year more funding is made available to increase the broadcasting hours.