Internet in North Korea
Encyclopedia
North Korea
is almost completely isolated from the rest of the world and, while there is a public telephone network, there is no broadband
data network. Satellite Internet coverage from BGAN
and Thuraya
is available, offering download speeds up to 492 kbit/s and upload speeds of 400 kbit/s; however it would be extremely difficult to smuggle a satellite terminal into the country. The one Internet cafe in Pyongyang
uses a satellite Internet connection, as do some of the more upmarket hotels.
According to one report, as recently as 2009 many North Koreans had never heard of the Internet, although a few of the government elite are connected to the Internet via a link to China. Kim Jong-il
himself is said to love "surfing the net".
).
) and Guk-jeonseon (meaning "channels between nations") in Japan, Unification Arirang (Arirang
is a traditional Korean folk song) in China, Minjok Tongsin ("Minjok" means "nation, ethnic group") in the U.S., and twelve new pro-North Korean websites have launched, including the "Korea Network".
In September 2007 the .kp
top-level domain was created. It contains websites connected to North Korean government.
site targeting South Korean customers (online gambling being illegal in South Korea), but the site has since been closed down.
In late 2007, North Korea launched its first online shop
, Chollima
, in a joint venture with an unnamed Chinese company.
Air Koryo
has an official Facebook page. It is noticed for its rather friendlier non-political approach compare to other North Korean websites.
's approval to contact North Koreans through their websites.
, Facebook
and Twitter
accounts, named 'uriminzok' ('our people') or 'uriminzokkiri
'. The advertised Facebook page is currently a dead link. Both the Twitter and Youtube accounts are solely in Korean
. The BBC reported "In a recent Twitter post, the North Koreans said the current administration in South Korea was "a prostitute" of the US", though this wording may be a poor translation into English. Among some of the content on the official website is an image of a US Soldier being followed by two missiles, along with various other cartoons, pictures and text, with largely anti-US and anti-South Korean sentiment.
A group of North Korean hackers based in Shenyang, China, developed and sold auto-programs for an online game Lineage and a South Korea citizen was arrested in May 2011 for purchasing it.
As of 2011, there has been a growing IT industry in North Korea.
The North Korean government trains computer hackers in Kim Chaek University of Technology
and Kim Il-sung University to earn money overseas.
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...
is almost completely isolated from the rest of the world and, while there is a public telephone network, there is no broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
data network. Satellite Internet coverage from BGAN
BGAN
The Broadband Global Area Network is a global Satellite Internet Network with telephony using portable terminals. The terminals are normally used to connect a laptop computer to broadband Internet in remote locations, although as long as line-of-sight to the satellite exists, the terminal can be...
and Thuraya
Thuraya
Thuraya , the Arabic name of the Pleiades, is a regional satellite phone provider. Its coverage area is most of Europe, the Middle East, North, Central and East Africa, Asia and Australia....
is available, offering download speeds up to 492 kbit/s and upload speeds of 400 kbit/s; however it would be extremely difficult to smuggle a satellite terminal into the country. The one Internet cafe in Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
uses a satellite Internet connection, as do some of the more upmarket hotels.
According to one report, as recently as 2009 many North Koreans had never heard of the Internet, although a few of the government elite are connected to the Internet via a link to China. Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
himself is said to love "surfing the net".
History
In 1996, the Central Information Agency for Science and Technology (CIAST) of the National Academy of Sciences was authorized to act as the nation’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) and stood up a countrywide intranet network called “Kwangmyong” (also known as “Kwangmyong Technology Service Station”) connecting all government institutions at the national, provincial, and county levels with industrial factories, banks, transportation units, agricultural cooperatives, institutions of art and culture, S&T and educational institutions, trading companies, and a handful of foreign joint investment ventures.North Korean Internet Number Resources
Most official North Korean internet resources are hosted outside North Korea, but since sometime October 2010 a host that seems to be hosted inside North Korea is accessible from outside. At the URI http://175.45.176.14/ you can access an English and a Spanish edition of Korean Central News Agency. The IP address is a part of a /24 netblock, registered by a North Korean company called Star Joint Venture, 2009-12-21. The prefix is announced by AS131279 (which is notably a four byte ASNAutonomous system (Internet)
Within the Internet, an Autonomous System is a collection of connected Internet Protocol routing prefixes under the control of one or more network operators that presents a common, clearly defined routing policy to the Internet....
).
North Korean websites
There are about 30 websites, such as North Korean June 15th Editions (Chosongul: 조선륙일오편집사) and www.kcckp.net/en, run by the DPRK government. South Korean police have identified 43 pro-North Korean websites that have foreign-based servers. The police report that these websites encourage hostile attitudes towards South Korea and western countries, and portray the DPRK in a positive light. According to The Dong-a Ilbo, foreign-based websites include the following: Joseon Tongsin (Korean Central News AgencyKorean Central News Agency
The Korean Central News Agency is the state news agency of North Korea and has existed since December 5, 1946. KCNA is headquartered in the capital city of Pyongyang...
) and Guk-jeonseon (meaning "channels between nations") in Japan, Unification Arirang (Arirang
Arirang
"Arirang" is a Korean folk song, sometimes considered the unofficial national anthem of Korea. Arirang is an ancient native Korean word with no direct modern meaning.- Variations :...
is a traditional Korean folk song) in China, Minjok Tongsin ("Minjok" means "nation, ethnic group") in the U.S., and twelve new pro-North Korean websites have launched, including the "Korea Network".
In September 2007 the .kp
.kp
.kp is the Internet country code top-level domain of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea . It was created on September 24, 2007.-Usage:...
top-level domain was created. It contains websites connected to North Korean government.
Commercial websites
In 2002, North Koreans, in collaboration with a South Korean company, started a gamblingGambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
site targeting South Korean customers (online gambling being illegal in South Korea), but the site has since been closed down.
In late 2007, North Korea launched its first online shop
Online shop
Online shopping is the process whereby consumers directly buy goods or services from a seller in real-time, without an intermediary service, over the Internet. It is a form of electronic commerce...
, Chollima
Chollima (website)
Chollima was a North Korean website providing news and information about economic policies and foreign trade. The website contained North Korea's first online shop, believed to have opened on December 31, 2007, which had a broad range of product categories including machinery, building materials,...
, in a joint venture with an unnamed Chinese company.
Air Koryo
Air Koryo
Air Koryo ) is the state-owned national flag carrier airline of North Korea, headquartered in Sunan-guyŏk, Pyongyang. Based at Sunan International Airport , it operates international scheduled and charter services to points in Asia and Europe....
has an official Facebook page. It is noticed for its rather friendlier non-political approach compare to other North Korean websites.
South Korean Internet regulations
South Korean Internet users must comply with Trade Laws With North Korea (Article 9 Section 2) in which one needs to have the Ministry of UnificationMinistry of Unification
The Ministry of Unification is a branch of the South Korean government that is charged with working toward the reunification of Korea. It was first established in 1969 as the National Unification Board, under the rule of Park Chung-hee...
's approval to contact North Koreans through their websites.
North Korean Internet activities
In August 2010, BBC News reported that an agency contracted by The North Korean government has opened official NK YoutubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
accounts, named 'uriminzok' ('our people') or 'uriminzokkiri
Uriminzokkiri
Uriminzokkiri is the official website of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, distributing information over the web and, since August 2010, over Twitter. Articles of North Korean media are seen at the site....
'. The advertised Facebook page is currently a dead link. Both the Twitter and Youtube accounts are solely in Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
. The BBC reported "In a recent Twitter post, the North Koreans said the current administration in South Korea was "a prostitute" of the US", though this wording may be a poor translation into English. Among some of the content on the official website is an image of a US Soldier being followed by two missiles, along with various other cartoons, pictures and text, with largely anti-US and anti-South Korean sentiment.
A group of North Korean hackers based in Shenyang, China, developed and sold auto-programs for an online game Lineage and a South Korea citizen was arrested in May 2011 for purchasing it.
As of 2011, there has been a growing IT industry in North Korea.
The North Korean government trains computer hackers in Kim Chaek University of Technology
Kim Chaek University of Technology
Kim Chaek University of Technology is a university in North Korea, located on the bank of the Taedong River in Pyongyang.The university is named after General Kim Chaek....
and Kim Il-sung University to earn money overseas.
External links
- North Korea Tech – A site tracking North Korean use of the Internet
- My-Korea.info – A database of all known North Korean websites
- Fernanda Moneta, "Tecnocin@", ed. Costa&Nolan, 2007, ISBN 8874370415
- urimzokkriri.com in english