North Korean Smartphones Expose $750 Intranet Life as 6.35 Million Subscriptions Expand State Control
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 26
North Korean Smartphones Expose $750 Intranet Life as 6.35 Million Subscriptions Expand State Control
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 26
Summary
Two recently accessed North Korean smartphones show a polished but sealed digital ecosystem: users can bank, stream video, order medicine and hail taxis, all on a state-run intranet with no open internet access.
$750 handset prices keep smartphones largely in elite hands in Pyongyang, yet more than 6.35 million phone subscriptions and a 4G network suggest digital services are spreading well beyond a niche experiment.
QR-code payments, e-wallets and medicine purchases give authorities tighter visibility over cash flows, prices, grain distribution and pharmaceutical supply, researchers said, turning convenience into another layer of surveillance and control.
Manbang streaming, women's health apps and ride-hailing also show Kim Jong Un expanding state-approved comforts for loyal urban elites while maintaining harsh penalties for outside media and internet access.