BBC World Service Korea

Feb 7, 2013 | News

A group of young Koreans have started a campaign to persuade the BBC World Service to broadcast to the Korean peninsula. They have a Facebook page to which anyone wishing to support their campaign can link:
http://www.facebook.com/BBCforKorea
This link takes you to a short film which examines the human rights situation in North Korea:
http://experience.thedefectormovie.com/
Click here for Shin Dong Hyok’s first speech in English describing his experiences in Camp 14 where he was born:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9jvVdr_T0U
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Led by the senior Conservative MP, Gary Streeter, 15 MPs from all political parties have tabled a House of Commons Motion calling for the extension of BBC World Service Broadcasts to the Korean Peninsula. Mr.Streeter is Vice Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea. You can ask your MP to add their name.
BBC WORLD BROADCASTS TO THE KOREAN PENINSULA
• Session: 2012-13
• Date tabled: 07.02.2013
• Primary sponsor: Streeter, Gary
• Sponsors:
o Bottomley, Peter
o George, Andrew
o Meale, Alan
o Russell, Bob
o Shannon, Jim
That this House endorses the recent calls made to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and to the BBC World Service that World Service transmissions should be extended to the Korean Peninsula; welcomes the recent remarks of the hon. Member for East Devon and Peter Horrocks of BBC World Service, made at meetings in Parliament, which rightly recognised the role which the BBC can play in promoting human rights, democracy, culture and language; and believes that an extension of transmissions to the Korean Peninsula would be an appropriate way to celebrate both the 80th anniversary of the BBC World Service and to recognise Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which upholds the right of all citizens to freely listen to broadcasts and to exchange ideas.
Total number of signatures: 15
1. Show:
Supported by:
A list of all MPs that have signed and support the motion.
Showing 15 out of 15
Name
Party
Constituency
Date Signed
Bottomley, Peter
Conservative Party Worthing West 07.02.2013
Bruce, Fiona
Conservative Party Congleton 13.02.2013
Caton, Martin
Labour Party Gower 13.02.2013
Dodds, Nigel
Democratic Unionist Party Belfast North 13.02.2013
Field, Frank
Labour Party Birkenhead 14.02.2013
George, Andrew
Liberal Democrats St Ives 07.02.2013
Hancock, Mike
Liberal Democrats Portsmouth South 13.02.2013
Leech, John
Liberal Democrats Manchester Withington 12.02.2013
McDonnell, John
Labour Party Hayes and Harlington 12.02.2013
Meale, Alan
Labour Party Mansfield 11.02.2013
Osborne, Sandra
Labour Party Ayr Carrick and Cumnock 13.02.2013
Russell, Bob
Liberal Democrats Colchester 07.02.2013
Shannon, Jim
Democratic Unionist Party Strangford 12.02.2013
Sharma, Virendra
Labour Party Ealing Southall 12.02.2013
Streeter, Gary
Conservative Party South West Devon 07.02.2013
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Most British people, me included, have long been proud of the role the British Broadcasting Corporation
plays in facilitating free flow of information. The BBC, with its 188 million listeners, has been instrumental to upholding the values of freedom, democracy, and human rights around the world. I am convinced that this service must also be extended to over 70 million inhabitants of the Korean peninsula in their language and in English, so that our dialogue over shared beliefs can become a truly global one.
The BBC has proven its commitment to neutrality and freedom of press over its long history of excellent reporting. It strives to provide news coverage that eschews a particular point of view, whether political, social, or national. It has the courage and resources to address events that others may be unwilling or unable to. It embodies the best of what modern Britain has to offer.
South Korea is a major player in global trade, cultural production, and technological innovation. It has succeeded in becoming one such despite insurmountable odds, and now serves as a model for other countries who wish to emulate its “Miracle on the Han River”. It is my strong belief that a Korean language broadcast of the BBC World Service will be in not only South Korea’s interest, but that of Britain as well.
In the case of North Korea, where free press does not exist and unbiased facts are difficult to come by, offering objective news coverage of global affairs in a language understandable to North Korean citizens will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the political standoff that has lasted almost six decades between the two Koreas. This task must be a priority for the BBC, whose stated purposes include sustaining citizenship and civil society.
I am confident that together we will make the Korean language broadcast of the BBC World Service a reality. The campaign, “BBC for Korea”. has my full support and I hope many others will endorse it at:

Calls for BBC World Seervice To Broadcast To Korea

Calls for BBC World Seervice To Broadcast To Korea

http://www.facebook.com/BBCforKorea

Lord David Alton

For 18 years David Alton was a Member of the House of Commons and today he is an Independent Crossbench Life Peer in the UK House of Lords.

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