Additional Context: This information was obtained by Human Rights Watch, or HRW, in online and in-person interviews with five senior media officials at cross-border media outlets affected at least partially by the aid cuts: Unification Media Group, or UMG, DailyNK, North Korea Development Institute, Asia Press, and HanVoice. Although concrete funding amounts are not disclosed, agencies interviewed had generally relied heavily on the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy and the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), with U.S. funding reaching up to 90% of total funds for UMG and DailyNK.

According to HRW, the number of stations fell from 11 broadcasting on 25 frequencies in early 2025 to just five or six frequencies by July 2025. This drop, HRW noted, makes it easier for North Korean authorities to jam remaining frequencies, extending the effect of the cuts.

Source: Human Rights Watch