Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TOKYO3166
2007-07-11 08:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
RADIO BROADCASTING TO THE DPRK
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 003166
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL KPAO JA KN
SUBJECT: RADIO BROADCASTING TO THE DPRK
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reasons 1.4 (B)(D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 003166
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL KPAO JA KN
SUBJECT: RADIO BROADCASTING TO THE DPRK
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reasons 1.4 (B)(D)
1. (C) Summary: Kazuhiro Taguchi, Acting Director of the
Policy Planning Division in the Prime Minister's office
overseeing abduction issues told Embassy Tokyo on July 5 that
the Japanese government would begin short-wave radio
broadcasts to the DPRK on July 9. Japanese officials believe
the radio programs will: 1) provide encouragement to
abductees who Japan believes still reside in the DPRK; and 2)
reach DPRK citizens who might have contact with or provide
information on the whereabouts of abductees. End Summary.
Japan's Broadcasting to the DPRK
--------------
2. (C) On July 5, Kazuhiro Taguchi, Acting Director of the
Policy Division at the Headquarters for the Abduction Issue,
informed Embassy Tokyo that Japan would begin a short-wave
broadcasting program from Taiwan to the DPRK beginning at
midnight (DPRK time) July 9. The Japanese government had
subcontracted the radio broadcasts to the Japan Center of
Intercultural Communications, a public interest cooperation
supervised by the Foreign Ministry, which would then use VT
Communications to transmit the broadcast, Taguchi said. The
programs would be in Japanese and Korean, each lasting thirty
minutes, Monday through Sunday. Taguchi explained that VT
Communication would broadcast the same program every night
for one week before altering the contents. The Japanese
government publicly announced the start of broadcasts on July
9.
3. (C) Taguchi said the broadcasts were designed to: 1)
encourage abductees who Japanese authorities believe still
reside in the DPRK; 2) inform DPRK citizens who may have
contact with abductees about Japanese policy toward the DPRK;
and 3) ask for help in obtaining information on abductees.
The programs will consist of twenty minutes of personal
messages from family members and ten minutes of a mixture of
news on the abduction issue, music and domestic current
events. Taguchi said the Japanese government did not
consider the broadcasts to be a "news program," but rather a
"PR" opportunity. Asked to explain the difference between
these terms, Taguchi replied that because the Japanese
government does not own, operate or control radio
broadcasting stations, authorities hesitate to label the
broadcasts as "news." He continued that the program will
focus on factual information, with other comments or
viewpoints explicitly identified as Japanese government
opinion.
Possible U.S. Assistance
--------------
4. (C) Taguchi noted that because NHK already provides
international short-wave news broadcasts on a variety of
subjects which can be accessed from the DPRK, the Japanese
government did not currently feel the need to conduct
non-abduction related programming, or regional news features.
Japan planned, therefore, to begin the new broadcasts with
messages directly related to the abduction issue. Asked how
the U.S. might contribute to the broadcasts, Taguchi stated
that because Japan was so inexperienced in radio broadcasting
to the DPRK, Tokyo might need assistance with determining and
assessing the targeted audience in North Korea. In the
future, the U.S. might also be able to assist with program
content, if the broadcasts were to expand beyond the
abduction issue to a wider range of topics.
NGO Collaboration
--------------
5. (C) Taguchi observed that there were no plans to
collaborate with the Commission on Missing Japanese Kidnapped
Probably Related to North Korea (COMJAN),whose "Shiokaze"
radio broadcast reaches the DPRK. He said Japanese
TOKYO 00003166 002 OF 002
authorities consider the two programs different in content
and approach, observing that COMJAN broadcasts could be
politicized, for example, by calls for the collapse of the
Kim Jong Il regime. Taguchi said collaboration with Korean
NGOs might be possible in the future, noting that the
Japanese government had already consulted with ROK
broadcasters in creating program content for the newly
launched VT short-wave broadcasts.
SCHIEFFER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL KPAO JA KN
SUBJECT: RADIO BROADCASTING TO THE DPRK
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reasons 1.4 (B)(D)
1. (C) Summary: Kazuhiro Taguchi, Acting Director of the
Policy Planning Division in the Prime Minister's office
overseeing abduction issues told Embassy Tokyo on July 5 that
the Japanese government would begin short-wave radio
broadcasts to the DPRK on July 9. Japanese officials believe
the radio programs will: 1) provide encouragement to
abductees who Japan believes still reside in the DPRK; and 2)
reach DPRK citizens who might have contact with or provide
information on the whereabouts of abductees. End Summary.
Japan's Broadcasting to the DPRK
--------------
2. (C) On July 5, Kazuhiro Taguchi, Acting Director of the
Policy Division at the Headquarters for the Abduction Issue,
informed Embassy Tokyo that Japan would begin a short-wave
broadcasting program from Taiwan to the DPRK beginning at
midnight (DPRK time) July 9. The Japanese government had
subcontracted the radio broadcasts to the Japan Center of
Intercultural Communications, a public interest cooperation
supervised by the Foreign Ministry, which would then use VT
Communications to transmit the broadcast, Taguchi said. The
programs would be in Japanese and Korean, each lasting thirty
minutes, Monday through Sunday. Taguchi explained that VT
Communication would broadcast the same program every night
for one week before altering the contents. The Japanese
government publicly announced the start of broadcasts on July
9.
3. (C) Taguchi said the broadcasts were designed to: 1)
encourage abductees who Japanese authorities believe still
reside in the DPRK; 2) inform DPRK citizens who may have
contact with abductees about Japanese policy toward the DPRK;
and 3) ask for help in obtaining information on abductees.
The programs will consist of twenty minutes of personal
messages from family members and ten minutes of a mixture of
news on the abduction issue, music and domestic current
events. Taguchi said the Japanese government did not
consider the broadcasts to be a "news program," but rather a
"PR" opportunity. Asked to explain the difference between
these terms, Taguchi replied that because the Japanese
government does not own, operate or control radio
broadcasting stations, authorities hesitate to label the
broadcasts as "news." He continued that the program will
focus on factual information, with other comments or
viewpoints explicitly identified as Japanese government
opinion.
Possible U.S. Assistance
--------------
4. (C) Taguchi noted that because NHK already provides
international short-wave news broadcasts on a variety of
subjects which can be accessed from the DPRK, the Japanese
government did not currently feel the need to conduct
non-abduction related programming, or regional news features.
Japan planned, therefore, to begin the new broadcasts with
messages directly related to the abduction issue. Asked how
the U.S. might contribute to the broadcasts, Taguchi stated
that because Japan was so inexperienced in radio broadcasting
to the DPRK, Tokyo might need assistance with determining and
assessing the targeted audience in North Korea. In the
future, the U.S. might also be able to assist with program
content, if the broadcasts were to expand beyond the
abduction issue to a wider range of topics.
NGO Collaboration
--------------
5. (C) Taguchi observed that there were no plans to
collaborate with the Commission on Missing Japanese Kidnapped
Probably Related to North Korea (COMJAN),whose "Shiokaze"
radio broadcast reaches the DPRK. He said Japanese
TOKYO 00003166 002 OF 002
authorities consider the two programs different in content
and approach, observing that COMJAN broadcasts could be
politicized, for example, by calls for the collapse of the
Kim Jong Il regime. Taguchi said collaboration with Korean
NGOs might be possible in the future, noting that the
Japanese government had already consulted with ROK
broadcasters in creating program content for the newly
launched VT short-wave broadcasts.
SCHIEFFER