Unification Media Group
Building a Foundation for a Unified Future
WHAT WE DO
Unification Media Group (UMG) is a media and entertainment production non-profit organization
centered on highlighting the importance of unification for a peaceful future for the Korean people.
Through a mix of radio and video, we strive to encourage mutual understanding and respect between the two
Koreas and to highlight unification as a relevant issue for Koreans of all ages and backgrounds.
With inter-Korean tensions higher than ever, it is vitally important to seek understanding and empathy
as members of the same greater Korean community and to continue to cherish the dream of unification.
CIVIL CAMPAIGNS
Polling consistently indicates that interest in Korean unification continues to decline among young South Koreans, with more and more young Koreans expressing a sense of disconnect with their neighbors to the north. UMG seeks to restore passion for unification by reminding Koreans of our shared history, culture, and family.
RADIO
Radio is one of the only media accessible to Koreans on both sides of the 38th parallel. Through both live broadcasts and uploads to our website, we produce programming aimed at all members of the Korean community. Programming is designed to foster a sense of unity through shared experiences, such as friendly inter-Korean discussion of relatable everyday issues, popular music, and health and education content.
VIDEO
Our current media world revolves around video, so UMG produces a wide array of digital video content in addition to radio. Available through our YouTube channel to members of the Korean community across the globe, UMG’s videos aim to “put a face” to the abstract concept of unification. This includes videos highlighting our shared Korean culture and values, friendly discussions between North and South Koreans, and guest features with international guests and their views on why peace on the Korean peninsula is important to the broader international community.
The Unification Media Group has signed a consortium agreement with Daily NK, which is an internet news site focusing on North Korea and share news contents. Daily NK provides accurate information to the worldwide audience on the current affairs of North Korea, through reporters who are former North Korean defectors, as well as human intelligence sources based in North Korea.
The Unification Media Group (UMG) has begun its radio broadcasts to the audience of North Korea since 2005. Currently, it produces and broadcasts the news, civic education and cultural programs, etc., daily for 3 hours. According to the Gallup survey conducted in 2015, 2-3% of North Korean citizens said they have previously listened to UMG broadcasts. Currently North Korean citizens are listening to Unification Media Group broadcasts through media equipment capable of receiving short wave radio frequency. Other North Korean people living abroad also listen to radio broadcasts through their smart phones.
The Unification Media Group constantly creates and produces Korean and English videos that target the North Korean people. In particular, UMG is producing a series on the daily lives of North Korean defectors, their changes in life and perspectives, as well as other items of interests of the North Korean people. Currently the produced videos are provided through YouTube, and further plans to transfer the information through satellite TV.
OUR IMPACT
Despite high tensions on the peninsula, UMG content continues to reach thousands of Koreans across the peninsula. Unification Media Group’s YouTube channel boasts tens of thousands of followers and millions of views.
In North Korea, where radio is the most accessible media, a 2015 Gallup survey estimated that approximately 2-3% of North Korea’s adult population had tuned into our radio programming. Locally, we continue to hold seminars, meet with South Korean youth, and hold campaigns to emphasize our message about the importance of unification for a peaceful and prosperous future.
