In many countries the Internet is limited, in some it either does not exist at all, or people are so poor that they do not even know about its existence. But what's wrong with North Korea, a country that actively develops nuclear technology (and this implies a lot of technological progress), but has great limitations? The Internet is available in North Korea, but it is so limited that by our standards it can be considered that it simply does not exist. Yes, and it is available to units of people. So why is the internet banned in North Korea? We will try to answer this question in as much detail as possible.
Is there internet in North Korea?
Of course there is. But, unlike in most countries, here it is a government tool for propaganda. Its only purpose is to serve the interests of the authorities, and not to provide access to the Web to citizens. The latter do not have access to it, and if they do, it is extremely limited. Citizens get most of their information about world events from newspapers ortelevision.
However, according to the statements of experts studying the problems of this closed state, there has been a slight opening of the "iron curtain" lately. To some extent, this may also affect the Internet in North Korea.
At the moment it is difficult to say how many North Koreans have access to the Net. However, in 2013, 1,200 IP addresses were recorded coming online from North Korea. Officially, the government allows access to the Network to party leaders, embassies of other countries, universities, propagandists and foreign trade figures. Also, some people from the circle of leader Kim Jong-un also have access to the Web. This is about the World Wide Web, but ordinary people do not have access to it. But they can use Kwangmen, North Korea's domestic internet. This network does not go beyond the "digital borders" of the state.
Kwangmen
The North Korean authorities solved the problem of access to the Web and information radically - they simply "cut off" the Internet in general throughout the country. Instead, an internal network was created, which was called "Kwangmen". This network is available to those few citizens who have computers, but most simply do not have them due to the very high cost of such equipment.
This "analogue" can only remotely resemble a classic network. Yes, there are chats, forums, entertainment sites (there are about two or three dozen of them), but even there there is no smell of freedom. According to experts on North Korea,all information in "Kwangmen" is read and analyzed by censors. All means all, without exception.
How does their network work?
Does this mean North Korea banned the internet? Partly yes, because the presence of an internal network, albeit throughout the country, is not at all the endless information space that we are familiar with. There is even a special institution in North Korea - the Korean Computer Center. The task of this center is to upload to the network "fresh" obtained from the real Internet. This center has a list of valid sites from which they take content and upload it to Kwangmen.
The citizens of the country themselves understand that there are computers and a certain network. They know that you can click there and see some interesting things, but nothing more. Most of the sites in "Kwangmen" are educational or business sites. But recently the network has been developing, and sites appear in English and even Russian.
Internet censorship
Note that the Computer Information Center plays a key role in the development of this network. It is he who uploads data to Kwangmen at the request of various agencies. However, the content offered to users undergoes very strict censorship checks beforehand.
To use a modern analogy, "Kwangmen" is more like an electronic library where the user cannotalmost nothing. However, it is possible to download books that are necessarily checked for censorship by "caretakers" and read them on Samjiyon tablets. These tablets for North Korea are specially made by China. There are also news sites on the Korean Web that promote communism to a greater extent. Some publish articles about science. It even has its own search engine and commerce, which allows you to run your own business. Chats and emails are included so you can chat with each other and share songs.
Software
Given the fact that the DPRK is a very poor country with an average worker salary of $4, it is very rare to come across a computer. But residents with their PCs also exist, although they are few. The computers use the Red Star OS operating system, which is a shell of the popular free Linux. The latest version of this OS resembles Mac OS. Access to the Internet in North Korea is carried out through the Mozilla Firefox browser, which has its own name - "Nenara". There is a mail system, a text editor and even some games.
Access to the real big internet
As you can see, most North Koreans only have access to censored copies of websites and are always within their Gwangmen network. And the majority of citizens do not have computers at all, but scientific laboratories, institutes, Internet cafes have access. And it’s very difficult to buy your own computer, because importing equipment from abroad is prohibited (they can put you in jail even for a DVD with harmlessKorean TV series), and the state-owned Morning Panda company is engaged in the production of its own PCs, but it produces only 2000 copies a year.
But even so, the Internet in North Korea is through a cable stretched from Pyongyang to China. About two thousand people throughout the country have access to it. In fact, China is a big firewall for Korea, from which many restrictions and prohibitions follow. And only high-ranking government officials and a narrow circle of specialists who need it for work have access to it. According to user reviews, the speed of such an Internet is very slow, and they connect to it through prohibited computers, including those of the American company Apple. The entire country of 25 million has 1024 IP addresses.
Internet for authorities
Given the above, the statement that North Korea lives without the Internet is completely wrong. It exists, but with huge restrictions for citizens. But the authorities can use it "to the fullest." Particularly for propaganda. As soon as Kim Jong-un came to power, the presence of this state on the Internet grew. A video about how well the people of the DPRK live was actively circulated on social networks.
There is also a theory (or is it a fact?) that the DPRK is using the Net to carry out cyber attacks. North Korean hackers are believed to be responsible for the Sony hack. Well, in general, the Internet creates a highstatus.
How do citizens mine internet in North Korea?
The unwillingness of the authorities to open the Internet for citizens of their country is quite understandable. It's just that the information that users can find there contradicts their propaganda. However, to survive, sooner or later you will have to open.
If China has a "Great Internet Wall" that blocks sites banned in China, then the DPRK has its own analogue, which is commonly called the "Mosquito Net", giving access only to basic information.
As it turned out, it is very difficult for the DPRK special services to track mobile phones. And although they have an official mobile network that prevents citizens from making calls abroad and accessing the Internet, the North Koreans have found another way. They increasingly began to buy Chinese phones that are brought into the country illegally. These devices can operate within a 10-kilometer zone from the Chinese border. However, the North Koreans understand that it is very dangerous to have, let alone use, such a phone.
Development of the information environment in the DPRK
Nat Kretchan, a North Korean researcher, has released a report on the country's evolving information environment. From the report, based on interviews with 420 escaped citizens, it is clear that using such phones is a serious crime. Also, government intelligence agencies have call tracking equipment, so you need to use such a mobile phone in a densely populated area and very quickly.
Many observersnote that the leader of the country, Kim Jong-un, is well versed in information technology and is trying to use it at home, that is, put it at the service of his citizens. Of course, these technologies are developing very slowly in the DPRK, which is explained by the complete isolation of this country, but every step in this direction gives the North Koreans the opportunity to receive truthful information. This may sooner or later lead to the fall of the regime in such a closed country. But as long as North Korea remains without the Internet, the regime has nothing to worry about. However, it cannot stay that long. After all, many citizens are already illegally gaining access to the Internet and mobile communications to make illegal calls abroad. Many are running successfully.
Conclusion
Many people are trying to understand why there is no Internet in North Korea, because the Internet itself does not pose a serious danger. In fact, for the DPRK regime, this is a real and terrible threat. After all, the authorities have been promoting communism and all the charms of the regime for decades, cynically lie about the most beautiful life in the country compared to other countries, their media broadcast the news that the DPRK football team won the World Cup, beating the South Korean team with a devastating score. etc. And if every citizen gets internet access in North Korea, they will immediately be able to expose the lies of their government, and this will clearly not benefit the regime.
But so far, the North Korean authorities have managed to curb the curiosity of citizens, and they are not particularly trying to use forbidden technologies. Butsooner or later you will have to open up, because a closed country, although it can exist in this form, but actively develop - no.
