U.S. and South Korea Abandon Crucial Broadcasts Into North Korea, Leaving Defectors and Freedom Fighters in Peril

For more than two decades, courageous defectors like Lee Si-young have risked everything to penetrate the information blackout shrouding North Korea’s 26 million people. Through Free North Korea Radio, Lee broadcasts uncensored foreign news for two hours daily—news that challenges the oppressive regime and illuminates a world beyond Kim dynasty propaganda. Yet this vital beacon of hope is flickering dangerously low. Major U.S.- and South Korean–funded broadcasters, including Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA), have abruptly ceased their Korean-language transmissions. These cuts stem from Washington’s dismantling of key media oversight agencies under President Trump’s executive order citing...