A radio station transmitting news and information programming into North Korea had nearly all of its funding suspended as a result of U.S. funding cuts. While some funds were subsequently renewed, capacity may be diminished.
Date: 3/25
Region: East Asia & Pacific
Country: North Korea
Topic: Governance & Rights
Policy Lens: Democracy & Governance
Entry Type: Operational Impact
Additional Context: This information was collected by Human Rights Watch, or HRW, in interviews conducted with Kim Seung Chul, director of the North Korea Development Institute, which ran the NK Reform Radio. The radio station was entirely U.S.-backed though the National Endowment for Democracy, or NED, and had its funding entirely suspended in February and March 2025. HRW reports that some NED grants were restored later that year, although grant amounts are not publically available for security reasons.
Source: Human Rights Watch