North Korea switches from Chinese to Russian satellite to transmit state TV
- The switch makes monitoring broadcasts more difficult for South Korea’s government agencies, and follows Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea in June
North Korea has switched the transmission of state TV broadcasts to a Russian satellite from a Chinese one, South Korea’s unification ministry said on Monday, making the monitoring of such broadcasts a challenge for the South’s government agencies and media.
Signals from North Korea’s Korean Central Television were carried by a Russian satellite, Express 103, from June 29 instead of the ChinaSat 12 satellite, a South Korean satellite dish service provider said.
It declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
The satellite change follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea in June, during which he met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and signed a treaty to deepen cooperation in all areas, including a mutual defence pledge.
While it remains possible to watch North Korean TV online, the quality may be delayed or of low quality.
South Korean government agencies and media monitor North Korean state media as a limited source of information from inside the reclusive state, despite its highly politicised and choreographed content.