Amateur radio call signs of Korea
Encyclopedia
Amateur radio or ham radio
call signs
are unique identifiers for the over 4,000 licensed operators in South Korea
with none known in North Korea
. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU
as well as nationally in South Korea by the Korea Communications Commission in the Ministry of Information and Communication. Not much is known outside of North Korea how amateur radio is regulated, although a foreign amateur was asked to appear before the "Radio Regulation Board" in 2002. Also, North Korea's Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
recently issued an operating permit, which was countermanded by the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts.
has assigned the Koreas the following call sign blocks for all radio communication, broadcasting or transmission:
While not directly related to call signs, the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) further has divided all countries assigned amateur radio prefixes into three regions; The Koreas are located in ITU Region 3, ITU Zone 44 and CQ Zone 25.
The Korea Communications Commission now issues call signs for amateur radio operators in the 6K (170 call signs issued), D7 (22), DS (834), and HL (3049) series for amateur use. The HMA-HMZ and P5A - P9Z ranges are reserved for North Korea, although the only three known stations operating from there used a P5 prefix.
The Korea Contest Club special callsign of D9K is non-standard, with no separating numeral. It is on Chuja Island as part of an IOTA DXpedition.
South Korea assigns their prefix separating numeral according to the following geographical location:
Amateurs in the HL block retain their suffix no matter which call-area they live in, for instance an HL1AAA who moves to Busan automatically becomes HL5AAA. Amateurs assigned calls in the DS or 6K series do not have a unique suffix. In the case above a DS1AAA who moves to Busan must use DS1AAA/5 as there may be a separate DS5AAA assigned.
and Yemen
do not issue amateur radio licenses to their citizens, although in both cases a limited number of foreign visitors have been permitted to obtain amateur licenses in the past. HamCall.Net lists 19 amateur stations in North Korea assigned in the P5 series, although the specific call signs themselves remain unknown. A Serbian amateur writes that he was "licensed" as P5A, but that he was not allowed to operate on either occasion he was in the country.
In 2001 and 2002, Ed Giorgadze of the Republic of Georgia operated as P5/4L4FN with the "oral permission" of North Korean authorities and was recognized by the ARRL DXCC desk as a valid operation. Giorgadze worked 3,307 U.S., 189 Canadian, 2,902 Japanese stations, and amateurs in 167 DXCC entities.
On Friday, November 22, 2002, Giorgadze was called into a meeting with the "Radio Regulation Board" without any explanation, and he was politely asked to quit all transmissions and pack all his radio equipment.
Two previous authorized amateur stations were reported as P5/OH2AM on May 14, 1995 with 20 QSOs, and one of the few, specifically North Korean call signs of P51BH (OH2BH) on April 21, 1999. The latter did an amateur radio demonstration for North Korean officials with 263 QSOs.
In 2005, The Lone Star DX Association president Michael Thomas reported that an official with North Korea's Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
committee issued a permit to operate to KA2HTV, but that the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts withdrew permission once the operator was in the country.
A station claiming to have the call sign of P5RS7 operated in 1992, but was not in North Korea. The Ten-Ten newsletter wrote that this station was operating from over the border from North Korea in Vladivostok, Russia.
Amateur radio or ham radio
call signs
are unique identifiers for the over 4,000 licensed operators in South Korea
with none known in North Korea
. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU
as well as nationally in South Korea by the Korea Communications Commission in the Ministry of Information and Communication.Korea Communications Commission Not much is known outside of North Korea how amateur radio is regulated, although a foreign amateur was asked to appear before the "Radio Regulation Board" in 2002. Also, North Korea's Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
recently issued an operating permit, which was countermanded by the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts.
has assigned the Koreas the following call sign blocks for all radio communication, broadcasting or transmission:International Telecommunication Union country call sign assignments
ITU Table of Allocation of International Call Sign Series
While not directly related to call signs, the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) further has divided all countries assigned amateur radio prefixes into three regions; The Koreas are located in ITU Region 3, ITU Zone 44 and CQ Zone 25.
The Korea Communications Commission now issues call signs for amateur radio operators in the 6K (170 call signs issued), D7 (22), DS (834), and HL (3049) series for amateur use. The HMA-HMZ and P5A - P9Z ranges are reserved for North Korea, although the only three known stations operating from there used a P5 prefix.
The Korea Contest Club special callsign of D9K is non-standard, with no separating numeral. It is on Chuja Island as part of an IOTA DXpedition.D9K at QRZ.COM
South Korea assigns their prefix separating numeral according to the following geographical location:
Amateurs in the HL block retain their suffix no matter which call-area they live in, for instance an HL1AAA who moves to Busan automatically becomes HL5AAA. Amateurs assigned calls in the DS or 6K series do not have a unique suffix. In the case above a DS1AAA who moves to Busan must use DS1AAA/5 as there may be a separate DS5AAA assigned.
and Yemen
do not issue amateur radio licenses to their citizens, although in both cases a limited number of foreign visitors have been permitted to obtain amateur licenses in the past. HamCall.Net lists 19 amateur stations in North Korea assigned in the P5 series, although the specific call signs themselves remain unknown. A Serbian amateur writes that he was "licensed" as P5A, but that he was not allowed to operate on either occasion he was in the country.dr hranislav milosevic - yt1ad homepage
In 2001 and 2002, Ed Giorgadze of the Republic of Georgia operated as P5/4L4FN with the "oral permission" of North Korean authorities and was recognized by the ARRL DXCC desk as a valid operation.ARRL newsletter April 5, 2002 Giorgadze worked 3,307 U.S., 189 Canadian, 2,902 Japanese stations, and amateurs in 167 DXCC entities.AMSAT P5 stats for P5/4L4FN ending Nov 2002
On Friday, November 22, 2002, Giorgadze was called into a meeting with the "Radio Regulation Board" without any explanation, and he was politely asked to quit all transmissions and pack all his radio equipment.NORTH KOREA ASKS P5/4L4FN TO QRT
Two previous authorized amateur stations were reported as P5/OH2AM on May 14, 1995 with 20 QSOs, and one of the few, specifically North Korean call signs of P51BH (OH2BH) on April 21, 1999. The latter did an amateur radio demonstration for North Korean officials with 263 QSOs.The Southern California DX Club Newsletter, October 2010
In 2005, The Lone Star DX Association president Michael Thomas reported that an official with North Korea's Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
committee issued a permit to operate to KA2HTV, but that the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts withdrew permission once the operator was in the country.Lone Star DX Association www.dxer.org/lsdxa
A station claiming to have the call sign of P5RS7 operated in 1992, but was not in North Korea.P5RS7 1992 Not North Korea The Ten-Ten newsletter wrote that this station was operating from over the border from North Korea in Vladivostok, Russia.Ten Ten News March 3, 1996
Amateur radio or ham radio
call signs
are unique identifiers for the over 4,000 licensed operators in South Korea
with none known in North Korea
. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU
as well as nationally in South Korea by the Korea Communications Commission in the Ministry of Information and Communication.Korea Communications Commission Not much is known outside of North Korea how amateur radio is regulated, although a foreign amateur was asked to appear before the "Radio Regulation Board" in 2002. Also, North Korea's Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
recently issued an operating permit, which was countermanded by the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts.
has assigned the Koreas the following call sign blocks for all radio communication, broadcasting or transmission:International Telecommunication Union country call sign assignments
ITU Table of Allocation of International Call Sign Series
While not directly related to call signs, the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) further has divided all countries assigned amateur radio prefixes into three regions; The Koreas are located in ITU Region 3, ITU Zone 44 and CQ Zone 25.
The Korea Communications Commission now issues call signs for amateur radio operators in the 6K (170 call signs issued), D7 (22), DS (834), and HL (3049) series for amateur use. The HMA-HMZ and P5A - P9Z ranges are reserved for North Korea, although the only three known stations operating from there used a P5 prefix.
The Korea Contest Club special callsign of D9K is non-standard, with no separating numeral. It is on Chuja Island as part of an IOTA DXpedition.D9K at QRZ.COM
South Korea assigns their prefix separating numeral according to the following geographical location:
Amateurs in the HL block retain their suffix no matter which call-area they live in, for instance an HL1AAA who moves to Busan automatically becomes HL5AAA. Amateurs assigned calls in the DS or 6K series do not have a unique suffix. In the case above a DS1AAA who moves to Busan must use DS1AAA/5 as there may be a separate DS5AAA assigned.
and Yemen
do not issue amateur radio licenses to their citizens, although in both cases a limited number of foreign visitors have been permitted to obtain amateur licenses in the past. HamCall.Net lists 19 amateur stations in North Korea assigned in the P5 series, although the specific call signs themselves remain unknown. A Serbian amateur writes that he was "licensed" as P5A, but that he was not allowed to operate on either occasion he was in the country.dr hranislav milosevic - yt1ad homepage
In 2001 and 2002, Ed Giorgadze of the Republic of Georgia operated as P5/4L4FN with the "oral permission" of North Korean authorities and was recognized by the ARRL DXCC desk as a valid operation.ARRL newsletter April 5, 2002 Giorgadze worked 3,307 U.S., 189 Canadian, 2,902 Japanese stations, and amateurs in 167 DXCC entities.AMSAT P5 stats for P5/4L4FN ending Nov 2002
On Friday, November 22, 2002, Giorgadze was called into a meeting with the "Radio Regulation Board" without any explanation, and he was politely asked to quit all transmissions and pack all his radio equipment.NORTH KOREA ASKS P5/4L4FN TO QRT
Two previous authorized amateur stations were reported as P5/OH2AM on May 14, 1995 with 20 QSOs, and one of the few, specifically North Korean call signs of P51BH (OH2BH) on April 21, 1999. The latter did an amateur radio demonstration for North Korean officials with 263 QSOs.The Southern California DX Club Newsletter, October 2010
In 2005, The Lone Star DX Association president Michael Thomas reported that an official with North Korea's Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
committee issued a permit to operate to KA2HTV, but that the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts withdrew permission once the operator was in the country.Lone Star DX Association www.dxer.org/lsdxa
A station claiming to have the call sign of P5RS7 operated in 1992, but was not in North Korea.P5RS7 1992 Not North Korea The Ten-Ten newsletter wrote that this station was operating from over the border from North Korea in Vladivostok, Russia.Ten Ten News March 3, 1996
; for instance an America amateur with call sign KA1AAA in the Pusan area would sign as HL5/KA1AAA.
USFK personnel will operate with an HL9 call sign. Novice class operators will have an 'N' as their last suffix letter, Technician class will have a 'T' as the last suffix letter, and General class and higher will have 2x2 or 2x1 call signs.
USFK personnel are also prohibited from working mobile or from transmitters in private automobiles.
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
call signs
Call Signs
Call Signs is the third studio album by Melbourne electronica band Black Cab, released in 2009.The album evokes the atmosphere of the former totalitarian state of East Germany, set to a soundtrack of post-punk and atmospheric electronics. In an interview, the band explained the album's sound was...
are unique identifiers for the over 4,000 licensed operators in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
with none known in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU
Itu
Itu is an old and historic municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2009 was 157,384 and the area is 641.68 km². The elevation is 583 m. This place name comes from the Tupi language, meaning big waterfall. Itu is linked with the highway numbered the SP-75 and are flowed...
as well as nationally in South Korea by the Korea Communications Commission in the Ministry of Information and Communication. Not much is known outside of North Korea how amateur radio is regulated, although a foreign amateur was asked to appear before the "Radio Regulation Board" in 2002. Also, North Korea's Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
The Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries is based in North Korea . It is responsible for organizing a wide area of cultural events and to develop international relations between the DPRK and many countries of the world....
recently issued an operating permit, which was countermanded by the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts.
Call sign blocks for telecommunication
The International Telecommunication UnionInternational Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
has assigned the Koreas the following call sign blocks for all radio communication, broadcasting or transmission:
| Call sign block | |
|---|---|
| DSA - DTZ | Korea (Republic of), South Korea |
| D7A - D9Z | Korea (Republic of), South Korea |
| HLA - HLZ | Korea (Republic of), South Korea |
| HMA - HMZ | Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) |
| P5A - P9Z | Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) |
| 6KA - 6NZ | Korea (Republic of), South Korea |
While not directly related to call signs, the International Telecommunication Union
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
(ITU) further has divided all countries assigned amateur radio prefixes into three regions; The Koreas are located in ITU Region 3, ITU Zone 44 and CQ Zone 25.
Call sign assignments for amateur radio
The 1947 ITU Conference in Atlantic City, U.S.A., assigned the whole Korean peninsula the HLA-HMZ range of call sign prefixes for amateur radio use.The Korea Communications Commission now issues call signs for amateur radio operators in the 6K (170 call signs issued), D7 (22), DS (834), and HL (3049) series for amateur use. The HMA-HMZ and P5A - P9Z ranges are reserved for North Korea, although the only three known stations operating from there used a P5 prefix.
The Korea Contest Club special callsign of D9K is non-standard, with no separating numeral. It is on Chuja Island as part of an IOTA DXpedition.
Geographical prefixes
It is unknown if North Korea assigns a separating numeral after their assigned prefix based on geographical regions. Based on the manner in which P5/4L4FN (above) signed as a foreign national, there seems to be no protocol.South Korea assigns their prefix separating numeral according to the following geographical location:
- Ø - Science, university stations
- 1 - Seoul metropolitan cities
- 2 - northern third (Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon)
- 3 - west-central (Daejeon, Chungcheongnam, Chungcheongbuk)
- 4 - south-west (Gwangju, Jeollabuk, Jeolanam, Jeju)
- 5 - south east (Busan, Daegu, Ulsan, Geongsangbuk, Geongsangnam)
- 8 - AntarcticaAmateur radio call signs of AntarcticaAmateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for licensed operators in Antarctica. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by governing bodies within each country who may have nationals operating in Antarctica. Call signs may also be issued by a...
(always HL8) - 9 - United States USFK personnel (always HL9)
Amateurs in the HL block retain their suffix no matter which call-area they live in, for instance an HL1AAA who moves to Busan automatically becomes HL5AAA. Amateurs assigned calls in the DS or 6K series do not have a unique suffix. In the case above a DS1AAA who moves to Busan must use DS1AAA/5 as there may be a separate DS5AAA assigned.
North Korea licensing
Only North KoreaNorth Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
do not issue amateur radio licenses to their citizens, although in both cases a limited number of foreign visitors have been permitted to obtain amateur licenses in the past. HamCall.Net lists 19 amateur stations in North Korea assigned in the P5 series, although the specific call signs themselves remain unknown. A Serbian amateur writes that he was "licensed" as P5A, but that he was not allowed to operate on either occasion he was in the country.
In 2001 and 2002, Ed Giorgadze of the Republic of Georgia operated as P5/4L4FN with the "oral permission" of North Korean authorities and was recognized by the ARRL DXCC desk as a valid operation. Giorgadze worked 3,307 U.S., 189 Canadian, 2,902 Japanese stations, and amateurs in 167 DXCC entities.
On Friday, November 22, 2002, Giorgadze was called into a meeting with the "Radio Regulation Board" without any explanation, and he was politely asked to quit all transmissions and pack all his radio equipment.
Two previous authorized amateur stations were reported as P5/OH2AM on May 14, 1995 with 20 QSOs, and one of the few, specifically North Korean call signs of P51BH (OH2BH) on April 21, 1999. The latter did an amateur radio demonstration for North Korean officials with 263 QSOs.
In 2005, The Lone Star DX Association president Michael Thomas reported that an official with North Korea's Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
The Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries is based in North Korea . It is responsible for organizing a wide area of cultural events and to develop international relations between the DPRK and many countries of the world....
committee issued a permit to operate to KA2HTV, but that the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts withdrew permission once the operator was in the country.
A station claiming to have the call sign of P5RS7 operated in 1992, but was not in North Korea. The Ten-Ten newsletter wrote that this station was operating from over the border from North Korea in Vladivostok, Russia.
Unsuccessful or unverified North Korean Stations / False P5 claims
The 2010 edition of the Southern California DX Club newsletter lists the following as either unverified, false claims or valid claims where permission was eventually refused for foreign operators in North KoreaAmateur radio or ham radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
call signs
Call Signs
Call Signs is the third studio album by Melbourne electronica band Black Cab, released in 2009.The album evokes the atmosphere of the former totalitarian state of East Germany, set to a soundtrack of post-punk and atmospheric electronics. In an interview, the band explained the album's sound was...
are unique identifiers for the over 4,000 licensed operators in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
with none known in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU
Itu
Itu is an old and historic municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2009 was 157,384 and the area is 641.68 km². The elevation is 583 m. This place name comes from the Tupi language, meaning big waterfall. Itu is linked with the highway numbered the SP-75 and are flowed...
as well as nationally in South Korea by the Korea Communications Commission in the Ministry of Information and Communication.Korea Communications Commission Not much is known outside of North Korea how amateur radio is regulated, although a foreign amateur was asked to appear before the "Radio Regulation Board" in 2002. Also, North Korea's Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
The Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries is based in North Korea . It is responsible for organizing a wide area of cultural events and to develop international relations between the DPRK and many countries of the world....
recently issued an operating permit, which was countermanded by the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts.
Call sign blocks for telecommunication
The International Telecommunication UnionInternational Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
has assigned the Koreas the following call sign blocks for all radio communication, broadcasting or transmission:International Telecommunication Union country call sign assignments
| Call sign block | |
|---|---|
| DSA - DTZ | Korea (Republic of), South Korea |
| D7A - D9Z | Korea (Republic of), South Korea |
| HLA - HLZ | Korea (Republic of), South Korea |
| HMA - HMZ | Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) |
| P5A - P9Z | Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) |
| 6KA - 6NZ | Korea (Republic of), South Korea |
While not directly related to call signs, the International Telecommunication Union
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
(ITU) further has divided all countries assigned amateur radio prefixes into three regions; The Koreas are located in ITU Region 3, ITU Zone 44 and CQ Zone 25.
Call sign assignments for amateur radio
The 1947 ITU Conference in Atlantic City, U.S.A., assigned the whole Korean peninsula the HLA-HMZ range of call sign prefixes for amateur radio use.1947 ITU Conference - Atlantic CityThe Korea Communications Commission now issues call signs for amateur radio operators in the 6K (170 call signs issued), D7 (22), DS (834), and HL (3049) series for amateur use. The HMA-HMZ and P5A - P9Z ranges are reserved for North Korea, although the only three known stations operating from there used a P5 prefix.
The Korea Contest Club special callsign of D9K is non-standard, with no separating numeral. It is on Chuja Island as part of an IOTA DXpedition.D9K at QRZ.COM
Geographical prefixes
It is unknown if North Korea assigns a separating numeral after their assigned prefix based on geographical regions. Based on the manner in which P5/4L4FN (above) signed as a foreign national, there seems to be no protocol.South Korea assigns their prefix separating numeral according to the following geographical location:
- Ø - Science, university stations
- 1 - Seoul metropolitan cities
- 2 - northern third (Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon)
- 3 - west-central (Daejeon, Chungcheongnam, Chungcheongbuk)
- 4 - south-west (Gwangju, Jeollabuk, Jeolanam, Jeju)
- 5 - south east (Busan, Daegu, Ulsan, Geongsangbuk, Geongsangnam)
- 8 - AntarcticaAmateur radio call signs of AntarcticaAmateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for licensed operators in Antarctica. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by governing bodies within each country who may have nationals operating in Antarctica. Call signs may also be issued by a...
(always HL8) - 9 - United States USFK personnel (always HL9)AMATEUR RADIO OPERATIONS CONTROL FOR US PERSONNEL IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, April 2010
Amateurs in the HL block retain their suffix no matter which call-area they live in, for instance an HL1AAA who moves to Busan automatically becomes HL5AAA. Amateurs assigned calls in the DS or 6K series do not have a unique suffix. In the case above a DS1AAA who moves to Busan must use DS1AAA/5 as there may be a separate DS5AAA assigned.
North Korea licensing
Only North KoreaNorth Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
do not issue amateur radio licenses to their citizens, although in both cases a limited number of foreign visitors have been permitted to obtain amateur licenses in the past. HamCall.Net lists 19 amateur stations in North Korea assigned in the P5 series, although the specific call signs themselves remain unknown. A Serbian amateur writes that he was "licensed" as P5A, but that he was not allowed to operate on either occasion he was in the country.dr hranislav milosevic - yt1ad homepage
In 2001 and 2002, Ed Giorgadze of the Republic of Georgia operated as P5/4L4FN with the "oral permission" of North Korean authorities and was recognized by the ARRL DXCC desk as a valid operation.ARRL newsletter April 5, 2002 Giorgadze worked 3,307 U.S., 189 Canadian, 2,902 Japanese stations, and amateurs in 167 DXCC entities.AMSAT P5 stats for P5/4L4FN ending Nov 2002
On Friday, November 22, 2002, Giorgadze was called into a meeting with the "Radio Regulation Board" without any explanation, and he was politely asked to quit all transmissions and pack all his radio equipment.NORTH KOREA ASKS P5/4L4FN TO QRT
Two previous authorized amateur stations were reported as P5/OH2AM on May 14, 1995 with 20 QSOs, and one of the few, specifically North Korean call signs of P51BH (OH2BH) on April 21, 1999. The latter did an amateur radio demonstration for North Korean officials with 263 QSOs.The Southern California DX Club Newsletter, October 2010
In 2005, The Lone Star DX Association president Michael Thomas reported that an official with North Korea's Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
The Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries is based in North Korea . It is responsible for organizing a wide area of cultural events and to develop international relations between the DPRK and many countries of the world....
committee issued a permit to operate to KA2HTV, but that the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts withdrew permission once the operator was in the country.Lone Star DX Association www.dxer.org/lsdxa
A station claiming to have the call sign of P5RS7 operated in 1992, but was not in North Korea.P5RS7 1992 Not North Korea The Ten-Ten newsletter wrote that this station was operating from over the border from North Korea in Vladivostok, Russia.Ten Ten News March 3, 1996
Unsuccessful or unverified North Korean Stations / False P5 claims
The 2010 edition of the Southern California DX Club newsletter lists the following as either unverified, false claims or valid claims where permission was eventually refused for foreign operators in North KoreaAmateur radio or ham radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
call signs
Call Signs
Call Signs is the third studio album by Melbourne electronica band Black Cab, released in 2009.The album evokes the atmosphere of the former totalitarian state of East Germany, set to a soundtrack of post-punk and atmospheric electronics. In an interview, the band explained the album's sound was...
are unique identifiers for the over 4,000 licensed operators in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
with none known in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU
Itu
Itu is an old and historic municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2009 was 157,384 and the area is 641.68 km². The elevation is 583 m. This place name comes from the Tupi language, meaning big waterfall. Itu is linked with the highway numbered the SP-75 and are flowed...
as well as nationally in South Korea by the Korea Communications Commission in the Ministry of Information and Communication.Korea Communications Commission Not much is known outside of North Korea how amateur radio is regulated, although a foreign amateur was asked to appear before the "Radio Regulation Board" in 2002. Also, North Korea's Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
The Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries is based in North Korea . It is responsible for organizing a wide area of cultural events and to develop international relations between the DPRK and many countries of the world....
recently issued an operating permit, which was countermanded by the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts.
Call sign blocks for telecommunication
The International Telecommunication UnionInternational Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
has assigned the Koreas the following call sign blocks for all radio communication, broadcasting or transmission:International Telecommunication Union country call sign assignments
| Call sign block | |
|---|---|
| DSA - DTZ | Korea (Republic of), South Korea |
| D7A - D9Z | Korea (Republic of), South Korea |
| HLA - HLZ | Korea (Republic of), South Korea |
| HMA - HMZ | Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) |
| P5A - P9Z | Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) |
| 6KA - 6NZ | Korea (Republic of), South Korea |
While not directly related to call signs, the International Telecommunication Union
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
(ITU) further has divided all countries assigned amateur radio prefixes into three regions; The Koreas are located in ITU Region 3, ITU Zone 44 and CQ Zone 25.
Call sign assignments for amateur radio
The 1947 ITU Conference in Atlantic City, U.S.A., assigned the whole Korean peninsula the HLA-HMZ range of call sign prefixes for amateur radio use.1947 ITU Conference - Atlantic CityThe Korea Communications Commission now issues call signs for amateur radio operators in the 6K (170 call signs issued), D7 (22), DS (834), and HL (3049) series for amateur use. The HMA-HMZ and P5A - P9Z ranges are reserved for North Korea, although the only three known stations operating from there used a P5 prefix.
The Korea Contest Club special callsign of D9K is non-standard, with no separating numeral. It is on Chuja Island as part of an IOTA DXpedition.D9K at QRZ.COM
Geographical prefixes
It is unknown if North Korea assigns a separating numeral after their assigned prefix based on geographical regions. Based on the manner in which P5/4L4FN (above) signed as a foreign national, there seems to be no protocol.South Korea assigns their prefix separating numeral according to the following geographical location:
- Ø - Science, university stations
- 1 - Seoul metropolitan cities
- 2 - northern third (Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon)
- 3 - west-central (Daejeon, Chungcheongnam, Chungcheongbuk)
- 4 - south-west (Gwangju, Jeollabuk, Jeolanam, Jeju)
- 5 - south east (Busan, Daegu, Ulsan, Geongsangbuk, Geongsangnam)
- 8 - AntarcticaAmateur radio call signs of AntarcticaAmateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for licensed operators in Antarctica. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by governing bodies within each country who may have nationals operating in Antarctica. Call signs may also be issued by a...
(always HL8) - 9 - United States USFK personnel (always HL9)AMATEUR RADIO OPERATIONS CONTROL FOR US PERSONNEL IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, April 2010
Amateurs in the HL block retain their suffix no matter which call-area they live in, for instance an HL1AAA who moves to Busan automatically becomes HL5AAA. Amateurs assigned calls in the DS or 6K series do not have a unique suffix. In the case above a DS1AAA who moves to Busan must use DS1AAA/5 as there may be a separate DS5AAA assigned.
North Korea licensing
Only North KoreaNorth Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
do not issue amateur radio licenses to their citizens, although in both cases a limited number of foreign visitors have been permitted to obtain amateur licenses in the past. HamCall.Net lists 19 amateur stations in North Korea assigned in the P5 series, although the specific call signs themselves remain unknown. A Serbian amateur writes that he was "licensed" as P5A, but that he was not allowed to operate on either occasion he was in the country.dr hranislav milosevic - yt1ad homepage
In 2001 and 2002, Ed Giorgadze of the Republic of Georgia operated as P5/4L4FN with the "oral permission" of North Korean authorities and was recognized by the ARRL DXCC desk as a valid operation.ARRL newsletter April 5, 2002 Giorgadze worked 3,307 U.S., 189 Canadian, 2,902 Japanese stations, and amateurs in 167 DXCC entities.AMSAT P5 stats for P5/4L4FN ending Nov 2002
On Friday, November 22, 2002, Giorgadze was called into a meeting with the "Radio Regulation Board" without any explanation, and he was politely asked to quit all transmissions and pack all his radio equipment.NORTH KOREA ASKS P5/4L4FN TO QRT
Two previous authorized amateur stations were reported as P5/OH2AM on May 14, 1995 with 20 QSOs, and one of the few, specifically North Korean call signs of P51BH (OH2BH) on April 21, 1999. The latter did an amateur radio demonstration for North Korean officials with 263 QSOs.The Southern California DX Club Newsletter, October 2010
In 2005, The Lone Star DX Association president Michael Thomas reported that an official with North Korea's Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
The Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries is based in North Korea . It is responsible for organizing a wide area of cultural events and to develop international relations between the DPRK and many countries of the world....
committee issued a permit to operate to KA2HTV, but that the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts withdrew permission once the operator was in the country.Lone Star DX Association www.dxer.org/lsdxa
A station claiming to have the call sign of P5RS7 operated in 1992, but was not in North Korea.P5RS7 1992 Not North Korea The Ten-Ten newsletter wrote that this station was operating from over the border from North Korea in Vladivostok, Russia.Ten Ten News March 3, 1996
Unsuccessful or unverified North Korean Stations / False P5 claims
The 2010 edition of the Southern California DX Club newsletter lists the following as either unverified, false claims or valid claims where permission was eventually refused for foreign operators in North KoreaSCDXC Newsletter 2010:- OK1DTG/P5 - Josef Zabavik was with the Czech army stationed in N.K. in 1992. He claims "verbal permission" to operate and worked stations on the 40m, 20m and 15m bands. Station P51DTG was suspected of being a pirate station, unaffliated with Zabavik.
- P5RS7 - reported on December 19, 1992, claim disallowed by ARRL for ethics violations.
- HA0HW - denied operating privileges by N.K.
- JH1AJT and JH4RHF - installed a ham station at Pyoungyang and lectured on the ham hobby. Forbidden to turn on the rig.
- HM0DX - was heard in 2000 calling himself "Kim", receiving hams used beam settings to locate him in Japan.
- P5/KA2HTV - medical doctor on humanitarian trip to N.K. Took ham station with him, but was denied operation permission on what was described as a "mix-up" by N.K. authorities.
Foreign nationals operating in South Korea
Amateurs holding licenses in other ITU jurisdictions can apply to the Korea Communications Commission for a one-year license to operate in South Korea.KARL Korean Amateur Radio League, internation operation form. International operators must use the call sign HL#/US military personnel
United States military personnel in South Korea are prohibited from communicating with amateur radio operators in North Korea.AMATEUR RADIO OPERATIONS CONTROL FOR US PERSONNEL IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA The Commander, 1st Signal Brigade (NETCOM), is tasked with issuing amateur radio operating licences and call signs to U.S. military personnel in South Korea.USFK personnel will operate with an HL9 call sign. Novice class operators will have an 'N' as their last suffix letter, Technician class will have a 'T' as the last suffix letter, and General class and higher will have 2x2 or 2x1 call signs.
USFK personnel are also prohibited from working mobile or from transmitters in private automobiles.
See also
- Amateur radio international operationAmateur radio international operationAmateur radio international reciprocal operating agreements permit Amateur Radio Operators from one country to operate a station whilst traveling in another without the need to obtain additional licenses or permits....
- Call signsCall SignsCall Signs is the third studio album by Melbourne electronica band Black Cab, released in 2009.The album evokes the atmosphere of the former totalitarian state of East Germany, set to a soundtrack of post-punk and atmospheric electronics. In an interview, the band explained the album's sound was...
- ITU prefix - amateur and experimental stations
- Amateur radio call signs of CanadaAmateur radio call signs of CanadaAmateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for the 68,000 licensed operators in Canada. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by Industry Canada, which regulates all aspects of amateur radio in the country...
- Amateur radio call signs of Great BritainAmateur radio call signs of Great BritainAmateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for the 60,000 licensed operators in Great Britain. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by Britain's 'The Office of Communication', known as Ofcom...
- Amateur radio call signs of AntarcticaAmateur radio call signs of AntarcticaAmateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for licensed operators in Antarctica. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by governing bodies within each country who may have nationals operating in Antarctica. Call signs may also be issued by a...
- Amateur radio callsigns of the Middle EastAmateur radio callsigns of the Middle EastAmateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for about 9,100 licensed operators in the Middle East. Call signs are regulated internationally by the IInternational Telegraph Union and nationally by local government and international agencies in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, The...
- Amateur radio call signs of New ZealandAmateur radio call signs of New ZealandAmateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for the 6,000 licensed operators in New Zealand. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by The Ministry of Economic Development...
- Amateur radio callsigns of MexicoAmateur radio callsigns of MexicoAmateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for the 60,000 licensed operators in Mexico. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by the Comision Federal de Telecomunicaciones...
- Amateur radio call signs of AustraliaAmateur radio call signs of AustraliaAmateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for the 19,500 licensed operators in Australia. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by the Australian Communications and Media Authority which is Australia’s regulator for broadcasting,...
- Amateur radio call signs of IrelandAmateur radio call signs of IrelandAmateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for the licensed operators in Ireland. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by the An Coimisiún um Rialáil Cumarsáide The latter is responsible for providing policy on the allocation of Ireland's...
- Amateur radio call signs of OceaniaAmateur radio call signs of OceaniaAmateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for more than 2,500 licensed operators in the western Pacific. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by island national entities, some of which are independent countries and others are under colonial...
- Amateur radio call signs of AfricaAmateur radio call signs of AfricaAmateur radio or ham radio is practised by operators holding nationally allocated call signs in African countries or foreign administered territories and other nations or DXCC entities...
- Amateur radio call signs of ArgentinaAmateur radio call signs of ArgentinaAmateur radio or ham radio call signs are unique identifiers for the 37,000 licensed operators in Argentina. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by the Comisión Nacional de Comunicaciones of the Argentine government....
- Amateur radio license