Japan may request South Korean radio time for messages to abductees in North Korea.

Kyodo, 26 Dec 2010: "The Japanese government is considering requesting cooperation from South Korean private-sector radio stations in communicating information to Japanese nationals abducted and held by North Korea if a war or similar emergency occurs on the peninsula, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday. By working with the South Korean ratio stations broadcasting to North Korea, Tokyo is hoping to notify the abductees of emergency procedures and keep them informed about ports or other locations arranged for their evacuation, the sources added. ... The Japanese government is also considering using its own shortwave radio station broadcasting to North Korea, while calling on a private group investigating possible abductions by the North to cooperate by providing emergency information through its shortwave service in the event of a contingency, the sources said. South Korea is said to be planning to fly radio receivers to people in the North using balloons. The Japanese government is also planning to collaborate with the South Korean government in providing as many radios as possible to people in the North in the hope that Japanese abductees will get them." -- The only precedent for South Korean radio stations making time available to other countries is VOA Korean via FEBC Seoul, which started in January 2009. It may take some negotiations for Japan to acquire time on these South Korean stations. Meanwhile, some of Japan's own medium wave transmitters should be audible in North Korea.