The Korea Herald
Wednesday, January 16, 2008

By Jin Hyun-joo

The government will launch English-language radio services in five metropolitan areas as early as this year, the Ministry of Information and Communication said yesterday.

The new service will provide general information on Korea such as news, weather and traffic, as well as music, ministry officials said.

The ministry unveiled its plans for the service in a policy review session with President-elect Lee Myung-bak’s transition team.

There are currently two English-language radio stations — American Forces Network Radio and the government-funded Arirang Radio.

The service will initially be rolled out in the Seoul metropolitan area, covering Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province; Busan, the country’s second-largest city; and Yeosu, which is to host the World Exposition in 2012.

“The new English-language radio service will offer diverse channel choices to both Koreans and foreigners. The service will also help Seoul and other Korean cities enhance their standings as international cities as they are trying to attract foreign investments.” a ministry official said. The new stations will also help Koreans learn English, he said.

The ministry will encourage a private company to operate the stations. If no viable candidates emerge, the ministry plans to set up a government-funded corporation to run the stations. Annual operating costs per station are initially estimated at 2 billion won ($2.2 million) to 3 billion won.