Defection starts with reform radio

[ChrisSmolinski]

Devices acquired on the black market expose Northerners to outside ideas

“This is the living proof that North Koreans are strongly intent on learning about the outside world.”

So said Kim Seung-chul, representative of North Korea Reform Radio, in showing the North Korean Homemade Radio to the public.

“Those who live near China may buy Chinese radio, but those who don’t have to contact the local ‘underground radio-maker,’” said Kim.

“There are some people who make a living out of making the homemade radio like this one.”

Full article: http://www.nknews.org/2014/07/defection-starts-with-reform-radio/

[BoomboxDX]

What a cool looking radio. Looks like it must have at least two or three bands. FM, MW, and probably SW.

But it sure seems to have a lot more parts than needed (all those components on the right side of the PCB) for just a radio. Maybe the extra parts are unused, as the board looks like it was taken from a computer or something.

[redhat]

It looks to me like a main board from a commercially produced radio that has been cut to size to fit the box. The insides of my first stereo kinda looked like that.

+-RH

[Pigmeat]

If the North Korean people can do the final wiring in country, ie; antenna, tuning cap, and speaker, why doesn't the Korean dissident community abroad smuggle complete receiver boards into the North? They could make the coverage basic MW with one or two prime SW ranges and give them away.

[BoomboxDX]

Looking at it again, it's probably the guts of a boombox or clock radio of some sort. AM-FM-SW radio, extra board might have originally been for the CD player control. Or possibly for a clock instead.

Don't see the volume control.... odd.

One would think they could smuggle in headset radios a bit easier -- they're much smaller, and probably even smaller yet without the case attached (thinking Sony SRF-59 and similar models).