The station will help expatriates here better understand Korea and provide essential information on how to navigate through their new environment, the KCC said.

Programming will include news and entertainment. It will be the first full-time English broadcast station in the capital city.

Officials said the first experimental broadcast will be made on August 15, National Liberation Day, with complete service slated to start on November 1. The station will be located at the state-run Traffic Broadcasting System in central Seoul.

The station addresses a need for Korea to keep pace with rapid globalization, officials said. The need for an English-language station has been frequently discussed by government authorities. The KCC formally proposed the introduction of the service to Lee Myung-bak's presidential transition team in February.

"Officials are now budgeting for the new radio station while looking for a suitable broadcast frequency. After that, we will recruit staff to run the station," said Chung Seung, a KCC official. "Though we developed the plan, Seoul city government will control the station," he said.

Following Seoul's lead, Busan, Korea's second largest city, and Gwangju will also open English-language radio stations by the end of the year.

This article appeared on www.joongangdaily.joins.com

June 18, 2008

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