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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 TOKYO 002557 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2016 
TAGS: PGOV BBG PHUM JA KN KS
SUBJECT: JAPAN WELCOMES U.S. ADVICE ON DPRK BROADCASTS 
 
REF: A. STATE 74428 
     ¶B. TOKYO 01251 
     ¶C. TOKYO 06940 
 
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer.  Reasons 1.4 (B) (D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Legal and technical constraints prevent the 
Japanese government from cooperating with foreign 
organizations to conduct radio broadcasts into North Korea, 
Japanese government officials reiterated on June 5. 
Nonetheless, Tokyo will spend USD 1.1 million to undertake 
shortwave broadcasts to the DPRK from Australia, Singapore, 
and/or Taiwan using private UK and Australian communications 
companies.  Japan welcomes U.S. advice on programming content 
for those privately commissioned broadcasts.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Technical/Legal Restraints Remain 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) On May 31, Embassy Tokyo delivered Ref A demarche 
seeking clarification of remaining technical obstacles to 
allowing the United States to broadcast into North Korea from 
Japan to MOFA Northeast Asia Division Deputy Director Yutaka 
Kashiwabara.  The Japanese government response, provided to 
Embassy Tokyo on June 5 after coordination with the office of 
Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on the Abduction Issue 
Kyoko Nakayama, reiterated that legal and technical 
constraints prevent the Japanese government from cooperating 
with foreign organizations to conduct radio broadcasts into 
North Korea.  The official response consists of two 
documents: a written response to the May 31 demarche and an 
"Outline of Radio Broadcasts to the DPRK."  The 
Japanese-language texts of the government's reply have been 
forwarded to EAP/J via e-mail; the Embassy's unofficial 
translations are at paragraph eight of this cable. 
 
¶3. (C) Japan's response notes that U.S. public broadcasting 
from Japan is not permitted under Japanese law because 
foreign organizations are legally prohibited from obtaining 
broadcasting licenses.  Tokyo officials hold out the 
possibility that U.S. broadcasters might be able to conduct 
shortwave broadcasts from Japan into North Korea if they 
receive airtime from NHK, the sole provider of international 
shortwave broadcasts originating from Japan.  However, as NHK 
is an independent entity, the government cannot compel NHK to 
provide airtime for this purpose. 
 
¶4. (C) Japan's response further indicated that these points 
were originally made in Japan's reply to a letter addressed 
to the Japanese Embassy in Washington from the International 
Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) on January 17, 2007, and during 
Senior Advisor Christian Whiton's March 5 Tokyo visit (Ref. 
B). 
 
----------------------------- 
Broadcast Using Private Firms 
----------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) According to MOFA and the Cabinet Abduction Office, 
Special Advisor Nakayama's May 29 statement to G/SENK 
Lefkowitz that Japan would begin broadcasts to North Korea 
refers to plans by Japan to commission the Japan Center for 
Intercultural Communication to use commercial communications 
firms to provide shortwave broadcasts to the DPRK.  Tokyo 
intends to use VT Communications, a UK firm transmitting from 
Singapore or Taiwan, and the Australian CVC Network Ltd. to 
undertake nightly (midnight DPRK time) shortwave broadcasts 
of 30 minutes duration targeting Japanese abductees who Tokyo 
believes are still living in North Korea, as well as to DPRK 
citizens.  The programming will be in both Japanese and 
 
TOKYO 00002557  002 OF 004 
 
 
Korean languages and content will be renewed weekly.  Tokyo 
plans to spend 134 million yen (USD 1.1 million) on that 
effort. 
 
------------------- 
U.S. Advice Welcome 
------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) The response notes that, having already cooperated 
closely with private organizations in the ROK on broadcasting 
into North Korea, Japan would welcome advice from concerned 
U.S. organizations in order to enhance the effectiveness of 
the broadcasts -- especially recommendations pertaining to 
the abduction issue. 
 
---------------------- 
Medium-wave Broadcasts 
---------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) The Japanese response does not address issues related 
to medium-wave broadcasting.  However, Tokyo authorities 
previously indicated (Ref. C) that such bands are allocated 
for domestic use and that there is only a "very slim chance 
that Japan's medium-wave frequencies could be used for DPRK 
broadcast." 
 
¶8. (C) Unofficial Embassy translations of the two texts 
received from MOFA follow. 
 
---------------- 
Japan's Response 
---------------- 
 
Begin text: 
 
June 4, 2007. 
 
Policy Planning Office, Secretariat of the Headquarters on 
the Abduction Issue 
 
¶1.    Details of Radio Broadcasts to the DPRK. (Please find 
below) 
 
¶2.    Cooperation with the United States in Radio Broadcasts 
to the DPRK 
 
We believe it would be very beneficial to the implementation 
of radio broadcasting to the DPRK to obtain cooperation from 
concerned organizations in your country, which have 
considerable achievements in radio broadcasts to the DPRK. 
In addition, in terms of the resolution of the abduction 
issue, we also believe coordination between our two countries 
is significant for enhancing the transmission of outside 
information to the DPRK.  We have already obtained 
cooperation from private groups broadcasting to the DPRK from 
the ROK on matters like programming.  We would also 
appreciate advice from concerned organizations in your 
country. 
 
¶3.    U.S. Public Broadcasting from Japan 
 
Our legal framework prohibits foreign organizations from 
obtaining (radio station) licenses to broadcast in Japan. 
 
On the other hand, it is possible for shortwave broadcasters 
in your country to broadcast from Japan by exchanging airtime 
with Japanese shortwave broadcasters.  In this case, the 
Japanese government itself does not possess airtime to 
exchange because it does not conduct its own shortwave 
broadcasts.  Only NHK is able to provide airtime, because it 
alone conducts international shortwave broadcasts in Japan. 
 
TOKYO 00002557  003 OF 004 
 
 
In view of the fact that NHK is a public broadcaster 
independent from the government, the government is not able 
to require NHK to provide organizations of your country with 
its airtime.  We have already explained this position when we 
were approached by the BGG (IBB) in your country concerning 
an exchange of airtime between our two countries.  (Please 
refer to the reply from the Government of Japan to a January 
17, 2007 letter from the IBB to the Japanese Embassy in the 
United States.   Moreover, we explained our position to 
Senior Advisor to the Special Envoy for Human Rights in North 
Korea Whiton during his visit to Japan on March 5, 2007.) 
Consequently, it is very regrettable that we believe there 
are limits to the extent of cooperation the Japanese 
Government can offer on this matter. 
 
(Note)  As you will see below, broadcasting the Japanese 
Government will conduct at this time will employ shortwave 
broadcasting facilities outside Japan, not domestic 
facilities. 
 
End text 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
Outline of Radio Broadcasts to the DPRK, June 2007 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
Begin text 
 
Policy Planning Office, Secretariat of the Headquarters on 
the Abduction Issue 
 
¶1.  Objective 
 
The objective of this government broadcast to the DPRK is: 
 
-     To secure the safety and realize the return to Japan of 
all surviving abductees in the DPRK by communicating to them 
the voices of their families, and by informing them of 
governmental efforts on the abduction issue and of events at 
home and abroad. 
-     To secure the safety of abduction victims by conveying 
to DPRK citizens who have difficulty obtaining information 
that would allow them to accurately understand the situation 
surrounding the DPRK, information about the situation at home 
and abroad, including information pertaining to the abduction 
issue and information that will deepen understanding of our 
country in order. 
 
¶2.    Radio Program 
 
Program Contents 
 
-     Calls to and encouragement of abductees from their 
families 
-     Initiatives and activities of the government, the 
families of abductees, and concerned groups on the abduction 
issue 
-     Events in Japan, international circumstances 
surrounding Japan and news reports and analysis on 
international circumstances surrounding the DPRK 
-     Music 
 
Languages: Japanese and Korean 
 
Broadcast Time and Duration:  Daily at 23:00 (midnight 
Pyongyang time). (Exact broadcast time is still under 
discussion.) 
Duration will be 30 minutes each for Japanese and Korean 
programs.  The contents will be changed weekly. 
 
¶3.    Broadcasting Method: 
 
TOKYO 00002557  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
Although access to overseas information is strictly limited 
in the DPRK, shortwave radio broadcasts appear to be somewhat 
common and to be a relatively effective source of 
information.  Because it is difficult to use shortwave 
broadcasting facilities in Japan, we will broadcast 
programming to the DPRK from overseas shortwave broadcast 
facilities. 
 
¶4.    Conducting the Broadcasts 
 
-     The Government of Japan has commissioned the Japan 
Center for Intercultural Communication (JCIC) to carry out 
the broadcasts 
-     The JCIC is scheduled to entrust shortwave radio 
broadcasting to 1) VT Communications, UK and 2) CVC Network 
Ltd., Australia. 
-     Transmitting Station: We are scheduled to use 
transmitting stations in Singapore or Taiwan for VT 
Communications and in Australia for CVC Network Ltd. 
-     Frequency: We are still coordinating with the 
transmitting companies. 
 
¶5.    Budget Allocation 
 
134 million yen (104 million yen for programming and 30 
million yen for broadcasting) is allocated in the fiscal 2007 
budget. 
 
¶6.  Schedule 
 
Broadcasting is scheduled to start in July 2007.  However, 
broadcasting from Australia is scheduled to start in 
Septmber. 
 
End Text. 
 
SCHIEFFER