An effort to establish a Korean-language service at the BBC, aimed at broadcasting into the North, has some observers interested in giving Northerners more options for hearing about the outside world.

But all acknowledge the obstacles the broadcast would face in even reaching North Koreans and it may be some time before the British public broadcaster is willing to commit to such a project.

That there is a campaign for a Korean-language BBC service is largely due to the efforts of Lord David Alton. Alton has been vocal on topicsrelated to the North for some time, and has in