Voice of Korea summer 2020 schedule

Tuning into Pyongyang Broadcasting Station on 657kHz in Paju, South Korea.

It’s been a while since I posted the shortwave schedule for Voice of Korea (조선의소리), North Korea’s international shortwave broadcasting station. The station continues to broadcast just as it always has, despite a steep drop in the number of people tuning into shortwave radio.

You can hear daily broadcasts in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Chinese, Japanese and Russian via the frequencies listed below. Clips of the programs are also available on Voice of Korea’s website, at www.vok.rep.kp but the full program is not uploaded or streamed.

The broadcasts follow the same basic line-up each day.

:00 Opening signal, station identification: “This is Voice of Korea”
:01 National Anthem
:03 Song of General Kim Il Sung
:06 Song of General Kim Jong Il
:09 News, editorials (approx 15 minutes, but can be extended to full broadcast), followed by music
:30 Reminiscences of Great Leader President Kim Il Sung of the century or other historical programming
:40 Music and features
:50 Editorial, special message (occasional)
:55 Frequency information
:57 Close

The news on each broadcast is typically updated once a day during the daytime in Korea and the scripts follow closely the text of English-language stories from KCNA with minor editing. News on the foreign service is generally a day behind that sent by KCNA so the usefulness of the broadcasts has declined in the last decade.

The full schedule for Voice of Korea is listed below and comes courtesy of Arnulf Piontek in Berlin.

The schedule shows the time in GMT (UTC), the language, the frequencies in kilohertz (kHz) and the target area of the broadcast. Korean-language programs are from the domestic Korea Central Broadcasting Station (KCBS).

First the schedule sorted by time, then by language.

0300 in Chinese on 13650, 15105 to Southeast Asia
0300 in Spanish on 11735, 13760, 15180 to Central & South America

0400 in English on 7220, 9445, 9730 to Northeast Asia
0400 in English on 11735, 13760, 15180 to Central & South America
0400 in French on 13650, 15105 to Southeast Asia

0500 in Chinese on 7220, 9445, 9730 to Northeast Asia
0500 in English on 13650, 15105 to Southeast Asia
0500 in Spanish on 11735, 13760, 15180 to Central & South America

0600 in Chinese on 13650, 15105 to Southeast Asia
0600 in English on 7220, 9445, 9730 to Northeast Asia
0600 in French on 11735, 13760, 15180 to Central & South America

0700 in Japanese on 621, 9650, 11865 to Japan
0700 in Russian on 9875, 11735 to Far East
0700 in Russian on 13760, 15245 to Europe

0800 in Chinese on 7220, 9445 to Northeast Asia
0800 in Japanese on 621, 9650, 11865 to Japan
0800 in Russian on 9875, 11735 to Far East
0800 in Russian on 13760, 15245 to Europe

0900 in Japanese on 621, 6070, 9650, 11865 to Japan
0900 in Korean (KCBS) on 7220, 9445 to Northeast China

1000 in English on 11710, 15180 to Central & South America
1000 in English on 11735, 13650 to Southeast Asia
1000 in Japanese on 621, 6070, 9650, 11865 to Japan

1100 in Chinese on 7220, 9445 to China
1100 in French on 11710, 15180 to Central & South America
1100 in French on 11735, 13650 to Southeast Asia
1100 in Japanese on 621, 6070, 9650, 11865 to Japan

1200 in Japanese on 621, 6070, 9650, 11865 to Japan
1200 in Korean (KCBS) on 11735, 13650 to Southeast Asia
1200 in Korean (KCBS) on 11710, 15180 to Central & South America

1300 in Chinese on 11735, 13650 to Southeast Asia
1300 in English 9435, 11710 to North America
1300 in English on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe

1400 in French on 9435, 11710 to North America
1400 in French on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe
1400 in Korean (KCBS) on 11735, 13650 to Southeast Asia
1400 in Russian on 9425, 12015 to Europe

1500 in Arabic on 9890, 11645 to Near & Middle East; North Africa
1500 in English on 9435, 11710 to North America
1500 in English on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe
1500 in Russian on 9425, 12015 to Europe

1600 in English on 9890, 11645 to Near & Middle East; North Africa
1600 in French on 9435, 11710 to North America
1600 in French on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe
1600 in German on 9425, 12015 to Western Europe

1700 in Arabic on 9890, 11645 to Near & Middle East; North Africa
1700 in Korean (KCBS) on 9435, 11710 to North America
1700 in Korean (KCBS) on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe
1700 in Russian on 9425, 12015 to Europe

1800 in English on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe
1800 in French on 7210, 11910 to Southern Africa
1800 in French on 9875, 11635 to Near & Middle East; North Africa
1800 in German on 9425, 12015 to Europe

1900 in English on 7210, 11910 to Southern Africa
1900 in English on 9875, 11635 to Near & Middle East; North Africa
1900 in German on 9425, 12015 to Europe
1900 in Spanish on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe

2000 in French on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe
2000 in Korean (KCBS) on 7210, 11910 to Southern Africa
2000 in Korean (KCBS) on 9425, 12015 to Europe
2000 in Korean (KCBS) on 9875, 11635 to Near & Middle East; North Africa

2100 in Chinese on 7235, 9445 to Northeast Asia
2100 in Chinese on 9875, 11635 to China
2100 in English on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe
2100 in Japanese on 621, 9650, 11865 to Japan

2200 in Chinese on 7235, 9445 to Northeast China
2200 in Chinese on 9875, 11635 to China
2200 in Japanese on 621, 9650, 11865 to Japan
2200 in Spanish on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe

2300 in Japanese on 621, 9650, 11865 to Japan
2300 in Korean (KCBS) on 7235, 9445 to Northeast China
2300 in Korean (KCBS) on 9875, 11635 to China
2300 in Korean (KCBS) on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe
Arabic
1500 on 9890, 11645 to Near & Middle East; North Africa
1700 on 9890, 11645 to Near & Middle East; North Africa

Chinese
0300 on 13650, 15105 to Southeast Asia
0500 on 7220, 9445, 9730 to Northeast China
0600 on 13650, 15105 to Southeast Asia
0800 on 7220, 9445 to Northeast China
1100 on 7220, 9445 to China
1300 on 11735, 13650 to Southeast Asia
2100 on 7235, 9445 to Northeast Asia
2100 on 9875, 11635 to China
2200 on 7235, 9445 to Northeast China
2200 on 9875, 11635 to China

English
0400 on 7220, 9445, 9730 to Northeast Asia
0400 on 11735, 13760, 15180 to Central & South America
0500 on 13650, 15105 to Southeast Asia
0600 on 7220, 9445, 9730 to Northeast Asia
1000 on 11710, 15180 to Central & South America
1000 on 11735, 13650 to Southeast Asia
1300 on 9435, 11710 to North America
1300 on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe
1500 on 9435, 11710 to North America
1500 on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe
1600 on 9890, 11645 to Near & Middle East; North Africa
1800 on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe
1900 on 7210, 11910 to Southern Africa
1900 on 9875, 11635 to Near & Middle East; North Africa
2100 on 13760, 15245 to Western Europe

French
0400 on 13650, 15105 to Southeast Asia
0600 on 11735, 13760, 15180 to Central & South America
1100 on 11710, 15180 to Central & South America
1100 on 11735, 13650 to Southeast Asia
1400 on 9435, 11710 to North America
1400 on 13760, 15425 to Western Europe
1600 on 9435, 11710 to North America
1600 on 13760, 15425 to Western Europe
1800 on 7210, 11910 to Southern Africa
1800 on 9875, 11635 to Near & Middle East; North Africa
2000 on 13760, 15425 to Western Europe

German
1600 on 9425, 12015 to Western Europe
1800 on 9425, 12015 to Europe
1900 on 9425, 12015 to Europe

Japanese
0700 on 621, 9650, 11865 to Japan
0800 on 621, 6070, 9650, 11865 to Japan
0900 on 621, 6070, 9650, 11865 to Japan
1000 on 621, 6070, 9650, 11865 to Japan
1100 on 621, 6070, 9650, 11865 to Japan
1200 on 621, 6070, 9650, 11865 to Japan
2100 on 621, 9650, 11865 to Japan
2200 on 621, 9650, 11865 to Japan
2300 on 621, 9650, 11865 to Japan

Korean
0900 (KCBS) on 7220, 9445 to Northeast Asia
1200 (KCBS) on 11735, 13650 to Southeast Asia
1200 (KCBS) on 11710, 15180 to Central & South America
1400 (KCBS) on 11735, 13650 to Southeast Asia
1700 (KCBS) on 9435, 11710 to North America
1700 (KCBS) on 13760, 12015 to Western Europe
2000 (KCBS) on 7210, 11910 to Southern Africa
2000 (KCBS) on 9425, 12015 to Europe
2000 (KCBS) on 9875, 11635 to Near & Middle East; North Africa
2300 (KCBS) on 7235, 9445 to Northeast China
2300 (KCBS) on 9875, 11635 to China
2300 (KCBS) on 13760, 15425 to Western Europe

Russian
0700 on 9875, 11735 to Far East
0700 on 13760, 15245 to Europe
0800 on 9875, 11735 to Far East
0800 on 13760, 15245 to Europe
1400 on 9425, 12015 to Europe
1500 on 9425, 12015 to Europe
1700 on 9425, 12015 to Europe

Spanish
0300 on 11735, 13760, 15180 to Central & South America
0500 on 11735, 13760, 15180 to Central & South America
1900 on 13760, 15425 to Western Europe
2200 on 13760, 15425 to Western Europe
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