JAPAN WELCOMES U.S. ADVICE ON DPRK BROADCASTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 TOKYO 002557 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2016 TAGS: PGOV BBG PHUM JA KN KS SUBJECT: JAPAN WELCOMES U.S. ADVICE ON DPRK BROADCASTS REF: A. STATE 74428 ¶B. TOKYO 01251 ¶C. TOKYO 06940 Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reasons 1.4 (B) (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Legal and technical constraints prevent the Japanese government from cooperating with foreign organizations to conduct radio broadcasts into North Korea, Japanese government officials reiterated on June 5. Nonetheless, Tokyo will spend USD 1.1 million to undertake shortwave broadcasts to the DPRK from Australia, Singapore, and/or Taiwan using private UK and Australian communications companies. Japan welcomes U.S. advice on programming content for those privately commissioned broadcasts. End Summary. -------------- Technical/Legal Restraints Remain -------------- ¶2. (C) On May 31, Embassy Tokyo delivered Ref A demarche seeking clarification of remaining technical obstacles to allowing the United States to broadcast into North Korea from Japan to MOFA Northeast Asia Division Deputy Director Yutaka Kashiwabara. The Japanese government response, provided to Embassy Tokyo on June 5 after coordination with the office of Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on the Abduction Issue Kyoko Nakayama, reiterated that legal and technical constraints prevent the Japanese government from cooperating with foreign organizations to conduct radio broadcasts into North Korea. The official response consists of two documents: a written response to the May 31 demarche and an "Outline of Radio Broadcasts to the DPRK." The Japanese-language texts of the government's reply have been forwarded to EAP/J via e-mail; the Embassy's unofficial translations are at paragraph eight of this cable. ¶3. (C) Japan's response notes that U.S. public broadcasting from Japan is not permitted under Japanese law because foreign organizations are legally prohibited from obtaining broadcasting licenses. Tokyo officials hold out the possibility that U.S. broadcasters might be able to conduct shortwave broadcasts from Japan into North Korea if they receive airtime from NHK, the sole provider of international shortwave broadcasts originating from Japan. However, as NHK is an independent entity, the government cannot compel NHK to provide airtime for this purpose. ¶4. (C) Japan's response further indicated that these points were originally made in Japan's reply to a letter addressed to the Japanese Embassy in Washington from the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) on January 17, 2007, and during Senior Advisor Christian Whiton's March 5 Tokyo visit (Ref. B). -------------- Broadcast Using Private Firms -------------- ¶5. (C) According to MOFA and the Cabinet Abduction Office, Special Advisor Nakayama's May 29 statement to G/SENK Lefkowitz that Japan would begin broadcasts to North Korea refers to plans by Japan to commission the Japan Center for Intercultural Communication to use commercial communications firms to provide shortwave broadcasts to the DPRK. Tokyo intends to use VT Communications, a UK firm transmitting from Singapore or Taiwan, and the Australian CVC Network Ltd. to undertake nightly (midnight DPRK time) shortwave broadcasts of 30 minutes duration targeting Japanese abductees who Tokyo believes are still living in North Korea, as well as to DPRK citizens. The programming will be in both Japanese and TOKYO 00002557 002 OF 004 Korean languages and content will be renewed weekly. Tokyo plans to spend 134 million yen (USD 1.1 million) on that effort. -------------- U.S. Advice Welcome -------------- ¶6. (C) The response notes that, having already cooperated closely with private organizations in the ROK on broadcasting into North Korea, Japan would welcome advice from concerned U.S. organizations in order to enhance the effectiveness of the broadcasts -- especially recommendations pertaining to the abduction issue. -------------- Medium-wave Broadcasts -------------- ¶7. (C) The Japanese response does not address issues related to medium-wave broadcasting. However, Tokyo authorities previously indicated (Ref. C) that such bands are allocated for domestic use and that there is only a "very slim chance that Japan's medium-wave frequencies could be used for DPRK broadcast." ¶8. (C) Unofficial Embassy translations of the two texts received from MOFA follow. -------------- Japan's Response -------------- Begin text: June 4, 2007. Policy Planning Office, Secretariat of the Headquarters on the Abduction Issue ¶1. Details of Radio Broadcasts to the DPRK. (Please find below) ¶2. Cooperation with the United States in Radio Broadcasts to the DPRK We believe it would be very beneficial to the implementation of radio broadcasting to the DPRK to obtain cooperation from concerned organizations in your country, which have considerable achievements in radio broadcasts to the DPRK. In addition, in terms of the resolution of the abduction issue, we also believe coordination between our two countries is significant for enhancing the transmission of outside information to the DPRK. We have already obtained cooperation from private groups broadcasting to the DPRK from the ROK on matters like programming. We would also appreciate advice from concerned organizations in your country. ¶3. U.S. Public Broadcasting from Japan Our legal framework prohibits foreign organizations from obtaining (radio station) licenses to broadcast in Japan. On the other hand, it is possible for shortwave broadcasters in your country to broadcast from Japan by exchanging airtime with Japanese shortwave broadcasters. In this case, the Japanese government itself does not possess airtime to exchange because it does not conduct its own shortwave broadcasts. Only NHK is able to provide airtime, because it alone conducts international shortwave broadcasts in Japan. TOKYO 00002557 003 OF 004 In view of the fact that NHK is a public broadcaster independent from the government, the government is not able to require NHK to provide organizations of your country with its airtime. We have already explained this position when we were approached by the BGG (IBB) in your country concerning an exchange of airtime between our two countries. (Please refer to the reply from the Government of Japan to a January 17, 2007 letter from the IBB to the Japanese Embassy in the United States. Moreover, we explained our position to Senior Advisor to the Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea Whiton during his visit to Japan on March 5, 2007.) Consequently, it is very regrettable that we believe there are limits to the extent of cooperation the Japanese Government can offer on this matter. (Note) As you will see below, broadcasting the Japanese Government will conduct at this time will employ shortwave broadcasting facilities outside Japan, not domestic facilities. End text -------------- -------------- Outline of Radio Broadcasts to the DPRK, June 2007 -------------- -------------- Begin text Policy Planning Office, Secretariat of the Headquarters on the Abduction Issue ¶1. Objective The objective of this government broadcast to the DPRK is: - To secure the safety and realize the return to Japan of all surviving abductees in the DPRK by communicating to them the voices of their families, and by informing them of governmental efforts on the abduction issue and of events at home and abroad. - To secure the safety of abduction victims by conveying to DPRK citizens who have difficulty obtaining information that would allow them to accurately understand the situation surrounding the DPRK, information about the situation at home and abroad, including information pertaining to the abduction issue and information that will deepen understanding of our country in order. ¶2. Radio Program Program Contents - Calls to and encouragement of abductees from their families - Initiatives and activities of the government, the families of abductees, and concerned groups on the abduction issue - Events in Japan, international circumstances surrounding Japan and news reports and analysis on international circumstances surrounding the DPRK - Music Languages: Japanese and Korean Broadcast Time and Duration: Daily at 23:00 (midnight Pyongyang time). (Exact broadcast time is still under discussion.) Duration will be 30 minutes each for Japanese and Korean programs. The contents will be changed weekly. ¶3. Broadcasting Method: TOKYO 00002557 004 OF 004 Although access to overseas information is strictly limited in the DPRK, shortwave radio broadcasts appear to be somewhat common and to be a relatively effective source of information. Because it is difficult to use shortwave broadcasting facilities in Japan, we will broadcast programming to the DPRK from overseas shortwave broadcast facilities. ¶4. Conducting the Broadcasts - The Government of Japan has commissioned the Japan Center for Intercultural Communication (JCIC) to carry out the broadcasts - The JCIC is scheduled to entrust shortwave radio broadcasting to 1) VT Communications, UK and 2) CVC Network Ltd., Australia. - Transmitting Station: We are scheduled to use transmitting stations in Singapore or Taiwan for VT Communications and in Australia for CVC Network Ltd. - Frequency: We are still coordinating with the transmitting companies. ¶5. Budget Allocation 134 million yen (104 million yen for programming and 30 million yen for broadcasting) is allocated in the fiscal 2007 budget. ¶6. Schedule Broadcasting is scheduled to start in July 2007. However, broadcasting from Australia is scheduled to start in Septmber. End Text. SCHIEFFER