Cracking the Information Blockade

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world. Each year, NED makesmore than 1,700 grantsto support the projects of non-governmental groups abroad who are working for democratic goals in more than 90 countries.Since itsfounding in 1983, the Endowment has remained on the leading edge of democratic struggles everywhere, while evolving into a multifaceted institution that is a hub of activity, resources and intellectual exchange for activists, practitioners and scholars of democracy the world over

National Endowment for Democracy

UMG will launch an international conference for freedom of information in North Korea in partnership with NED.

<h1>Cracking the Information Blockade: Advancing Freedom of Information in North Korea</h1>Follow the conversation on Twitter @NEDemocracy using #NEDEventsPlease email press@ned.org to register as a member of the press.This event will be held in-person only. Please RSVP by September 13, 2023. <h3>About the Event</h3>North Korea’s informational blockade is unparalleled in the modern world. Over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, the regime shut down its borders and used pandemic prevention measures to justify severe crackdowns against outside information. The regime introduced draconian new laws that imposed penalties, up to and including execution, for those found viewing or distributing “reactionary ideology and culture,” including South Korean dramas and foreign news. Despite such steep penalties, demand for objective outside information has never been higher in North Korea. Technological strides and marketization have allowed residents to evade government controls and continue to seek out and consume foreign content, ranging from K-pop to civic education. The tension between the regime’s isolationist policies and residents’ curiosity about the outside world lies at the heart of determining North Korea’s future. Thoughtfully formulated outside content can empower North Koreans to aspire for rights and freedoms and conceive of a democratic future. Unification Media Group (UMG), a Seoul-based media nonprofit, stands at the frontlines of this information battle. With over 15 years of experience working to provide North Koreans with the information they need, UMG prides itself on its one-of-a-kind feedback mechanisms to gather responses from residents in-country and ensure that they receive the objective information they seek. On September 19, UMG will launch an international conference for freedom of information in North Korea in partnership with NED. UMG will shed light on the black box of North Korea’s media environment and explore emerging opportunities for access, while defectors share their firsthand experience of life in North Korea and the transformative impact foreign content had on their lives. Simultaneous interpretation (Korean, English) will be available for all guests. <h3>Event Agenda </h3>8:45am | Registration9:00am | Welcoming RemarksDamon WilsonPresident and CEO, National Endowment for DemocracySpecial Speaker, Opening Remarks to be announced.9:30-10:30am | Panel 1: North Korea’s Post-Covid Media LandscapeKwangbaek Lee President, Unification Media GroupUnification Media Group Content Distributed in North Korea Over the Last Three YearsJeong-Ah Yang Chief Producer, Unification Media Group10:45-11:45am | Panel 2: Marketization and Freedom of Information as Key Contributors to Forming a Civil Society in North KoreaAndrew Yeo Senior Fellow –Foreign Policy, Center for East Asia Policy Studies, SK-Korea Foundation Chair in Korea Studies, Brookings An Inside Look: How North Koreans’ Perspective on the Role of Outside InformationSeong Guk ChoiWebtoon author, defectorJi Hyeon KangCEO of ISTORY, defector11:45am-12:30pm | Panel 3: Policy and Programmatic Implications Additional speakers to be announced12:30–1:30pm | Lunch with Exhibition Featuring North Korean Media Devices

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Cracking the Information Blockade

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