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 is wrong with North Korea - a country that is actively developing nuclear technology (and this implies great technological progress), but has great limitations? There is Internet in North Korea , but it is so limited that, by our standards, we can assume that it is simply not there. 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 most countries, here it is a government tool for propaganda. Its sole purpose is to serve the interests of the authorities, and not to provide citizens with access to the Network. The latter do not have access to it, and if they do, it is extremely limited. Citizens derive most of the information about world events from newspapers or television.
However, according to the statements of experts studying the problems of this closed state, there has recently been a slight opening of the Iron Curtain. To some extent, this may affect the Internet in North Korea.
At the moment, it is difficult to say how many North Koreans have access to the Web. However, in 2013, 1,200 IP addresses were recorded that went online from North Korea. Officially, the government permits access to the network by party leaders, embassies of other countries, universities, propagandists and foreign economic figures. Also, some people from the circle of leader Kim Jong-un also have access to the Web. This applies to the World Wide Web, but ordinary people do not have access to it. But on the other hand, they can use Kwanmen - North Korean Internet inside the country. This network does not go beyond the "digital boundaries" of the state.
Kwanman
The North Korean authorities solved the problem of access to the Web and information radically - they simply "chopped off" the Internet in general throughout the country. Instead, an internal network was created, which was called "Kwanmen." This network is available to those few citizens who have computers, but most simply do not have them because of the very high cost of such equipment.
This "analog" can only remotely resemble a classic network. Yes, there are chat rooms, forums, entertainment sites (there are about two or three dozen of them), but even there, it does not smell of freedom. According to experts in North Korea, all the information in Kwanmen is read and analyzed by censors. All means all, without exception.
How does their network work?
Does this mean that the Internet was banned in North Korea? Partly, yes, because the presence of an internal network, albeit throughout the country, is not at all that endless information space that we are familiar with. In North Korea, there is even a special institution - the Korean Computer Center. The task of this center is to upload to the network a “freshman” obtained from the real Internet. This center has a list of eligible sites where they get content from and upload to Kwanmen.
The citizens of the country themselves understand that there are computers and a certain network. They know that there you can click with the mouse and see some interesting things, but nothing more. Most sites in Kwanmen are sites of educational institutions or enterprises. 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 Kwanmen at the request of various institutions. However, the content offered to users preliminarily passes a very strict censorship test.
If we draw a modern analogy, then "Kwanmen" is more like an electronic library, where the user can do almost nothing. However, there is the opportunity to download books that are necessarily checked for censorship by "rangers" and read them on Samjiyon tablets. These tablets for North Korea are specially manufactured by China. There are news sites on the Korean Network that are more likely to promote communism. Some publish articles about science. There is even its own search engine and commerce, which allows you to conduct your business. Chats and emails are attached - there 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, meeting a computer is a rarity. But residents with their PCs also exist, although they are few. Computers use the Red Star OS operating system, which is the shell of the popular free Linux. The latest version of this OS resembles Mac OS. Internet access in North Korea is 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 already understood, the majority of DPRK residents have access only to copies of censored sites and are always within their Kwanmen network. Yes, and most citizens do not have computers at all, and scientific laboratories, institutes, and Internet cafes have access. But it’s very difficult to buy your computer, because importing equipment from abroad is forbidden (they can even go to jail for a DVD with harmless South Korean TV shows), and the state-owned company Morning Panda is engaged in the production of its own PCs, but it produces only 2,000 copies in year.
But even so, the Internet in North Korea is through a cable that runs from Pyongyang to China. About two thousand people all over the country have access to it. In fact, China is a big firewall for Korea, from which many restrictions and prohibitions follow. And access to it is available only to high-ranking government officials and a narrow circle of specialists who need it to work. According to user reviews, the speed of this Internet is very slow, and they connect to it through prohibited computers, including the American company Apple. The entire 25 millionth country has 1,024 IP addresses.
Internet for authorities
Given the above, the statement that North Korea lives without the Internet is completely incorrect. He is, but with huge restrictions for citizens. But the authorities can use it "to the full." In particular, for propaganda. As soon as Kim Jong-un came to power, the presence of this state on the Internet grew. In social networks, a video was circulated about how well the inhabitants of the DPRK live .
There is also a theory (or is it a fact?) That the DPRK uses the Network to carry out cyber attacks. It is believed that North Korean hackers are responsible for hacking Sony. Well, in general, the Internet creates a high status for the North Korean elite.
How do citizens "mine" the Internet in North Korea?
The unwillingness of the authorities to open the Internet for citizens of their country is understandable. Just the information that users can find there is contrary to their propaganda. However, for survival, sooner or later it will be necessary to open.
If in China there is the Great Internet Wall, which blocks banned sites in the PRC, then the DPRK has its own counterpart, which is usually called the Mosquito Net, which gives access only to basic information.
As it turned out, the DPRK special services find it very difficult to track mobile phones. And although they have an official mobile network that does not allow citizens to make calls abroad and access the Internet, North Koreans have found another way. They increasingly began to buy Chinese phones, which are smuggled into the country illegally. These devices can operate in a 10-kilometer zone from the Chinese border. However, North Koreans understand that it is very dangerous to have and even use such a phone.
The development of the information environment in the DPRK
Net Kretchan, a researcher in North Korea, published a report on the developing information environment of this country. From the report, based on an interview with 420 runaway citizens, it is clear that using such phones is a serious crime. Also, government intelligence agencies have equipment for tracking calls, so you need to use such a mobile phone in a densely populated place and very quickly.
Many observers note that the leader of the country, Kim Jong-un, is well versed in information technologies and is trying to use them at home, that is, put them 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 each step in this direction gives the North Koreans the opportunity to receive true information. Sooner or later, this may lead to the fall of the regime in such a closed country. But while North Korea remains without the Internet, the regime has nothing to worry about. However, it cannot remain so long. Indeed, many citizens already illegally gain access to the Network and mobile communications to make forbidden calls abroad. Many run successfully.
Conclusion
Many people are trying to understand why there is no Internet in North Korea, because the Network 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 lying about the most beautiful life in the country compared to other countries, their media broadcast the news that the DPRK national football team won the world championship, defeating the South Korean national team with a crushing score etc. And if every citizen gets access to the Internet in North Korea, he will immediately be able to identify the lies of his government, and this will clearly not benefit the regime.
But so far, the DPRK authorities have managed to restrain the curiosity of citizens, and they are not particularly trying to use forbidden technologies. But sooner or later it will be necessary to open up, because a closed country, although it can exist in this form, but not actively develop.