In May 2025, a former staff member at Radio Free Asia (RFA; 자유아시아방송) reached out to Yunah Sung, Korean Studies Librarian at the Asia Library, to identify the University of Michigan (U-M) Library’s institutional capacity in preserving RFA’s Korean-language radio broadcast materials related to North Korea, following the abrupt termination of federal grants announced in March 2025. Since then, staff from RFA and multiple departments of the U-M Library, including the Asia Library, Digital Collections, Library Information Technology, the Copyright Office, and Library Administration, have actively collaborated to generate an inventory, establish agreements, and facilitate the transfer of digital assets from the RFA server to the U-M Library server, getting well-prepared for preserving nearly three decades of broadcast history.
Radio Free Asia, funded by the U.S. government and established in 1996 under the U.S. International Broadcasting Act of 1994, has been dedicated to editorially independent journalism for audiences in Asian countries and regions with restricted media environments. With a team of 400 full-time staff and 500 stringers and contractors, RFA has delivered incisive, uncensored news and content to over 60 million people in nine languages—Mandarin, Tibetan, Cantonese, Uyghur, Vietnamese, Burmese, Korean, Lao, and Khmer—via shortwave, AM, and FM radio broadcasts, as well as digital platforms offering articles, videos, and podcasts. RFA’s multilingual coverage has served regions where press freedom is severely limited and reliable, independent information is scarce.
RFA’s Korean service, launched in 1997, played a vital role in providing editorially independent news and commentary to audiences in North Korea, a state-controlled and highly isolated media environment. However, following the termination of federal grants in March 2025, most RFA staff were forced to leave the agency, overseas offices were shuttered, and the Korean language service was ultimately discontinued on July 17, 2025. The loss of RFA’s Korean service represents a significant setback for North Korean audiences and broader efforts to support independent media in the region.
Despite these challenges, the remaining RFA staff have worked closely with partner institutions to ensure the transfer of digital news collections for archival and public access. In November 2025, the U-M Library successfully received the RFA Korean Radio Program materials (August 1998–March 2025), along with additional resources. These materials are now securely hosted on the library’s server and are undergoing review to be prioritized for public access on the library platform.
Recognizing the enduring significance of the RFA Korean Radio Programs across multiple disciplines—including international politics, history, economics, sociology, and human rights—the U-M Library is committed to preserving and ensuring ongoing access to these exceptional materials. Through its digital platform, the Library will offer 22 award-winning programs, spanning more than 25 years of radio broadcasts and featured video programs. These distinguished broadcasts have received honors from the New York Festivals Awards, Gracie Awards, and Burke Awards for their compelling coverage of human rights issues, daily life in North Korea, and the experiences of North Korean refugees in South Korea and beyond.
Continued access to these resources is essential, as they provide distinctive news articles, interviews, and audio files especially relevant to North Korea and to global audiences seeking independent information about the Korean Peninsula. For any scholars interested in the studies of the Korean Peninsula, this collection offers crucial insights into North Korea’s society, politics, and culture. By making these broadcasts publicly accessible, U-M Library empowers new research in fields such as history, sociology, international relations, and human rights.
Stay tuned for updates on public access to the RFA Korean Service program collection by visiting the Asia Library website or reaching out to Korean Studies Librarian Yunah Sung.