North Korea DPRK Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Population

Population

2022:26 million people

As of July 1, 2022, the population in North Korea reached 26.07 million people. In South Korea, this figure is 51.82 million people. The average life expectancy in these states is 73.6 years and 84 years, respectively, while the birth rate in the north is significantly higher than in the south - 13.1 newborns per 1000 citizens against 5.5 babies.

Average growth

Migration

2021: Net outflow over 4 years

Mortality

2016: Low opioid death rate

Cult of personality

In April 2012, two huge statues of the founder of Juche ideas Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il, who died in December 2011, were erected in Pyongyang.

Public Administration System

Organization department

At the beginning of 2020, all important political decisions in North Korea are taken collectively, in the Organizational Department of the Central Committee (Organizational Department), which is a complex, unstable and overlapping body of many alliances and associations between the three main factions of power:

• the Kim dynasty,
• by the army and
• Labour Party of Korea (TPK).

It is here that their representatives gather, reach the necessary compromises between external and internal goals, personal interests and interests of factions, and then implement them as the official policy of the state.

In the early 1970s, Kim Jong Il allowed this body to develop and become a kind of state in the state - partly in order to create a reliable rear for himself and stop depending solely on the will of his father and his influential generals.

The political equilibrium between the three main factions in the Organizational Department is far from permanent. At the beginning of the reign of Kim Jong Il, the generals always had the last word, since only the army could keep the country from collapse, and the leader from falling. Later, especially in recent years, the party managed to regain ground and achieve the previous equality between factions. In addition, many leaders of the Labor Party have high military ranks, which makes the borders between factions rather shaky.

Without a doubt, Kim Jong Un's view is listened to not only in front of the lenses of television cameras, but his political relations with the "domestic party" rather resemble those between the prime minister and members of his government in a western democratic country.

Another important factor at the heart of collective decision-making is the fear of being held accountable alone if a decision turns out to be wrong. Most people with experience working with North Korean officials know that they like the unpredictability, improvisation and spontaneous change of agreed plans even less than their counterparts from other countries.

Censorship and control

Control over the Internet in North Korea is simple: the vast majority of Kim Jong-un's subjects do not have access to the Global Network at all, content with the autonomous Kwanmen Internet, which began functioning in 2000. North Koreans can access the network using smuggled Chinese smartphones that provide 3G Internet access within 10 km of the border with the PRC. However, according to the BBC, owning such phones is simply dangerous.

2022: North Koreans learn to circumvent state censorship on the internet

On May 2, 2022, it became known that North Koreans learned to bypass state censorship in. Internet

About 10% of DPRK residents hack their smartphones to bypass state control.

North Korea does not have smartphones that are used all over the world, they have others and with a large number of restrictions. Only government applications and a number of security systems are installed on them, which monitor the use of the device and restrict access.

Nevertheless, enthusiasts have learned to bypass the restrictions set by the authorities. Human rights activists Lumen claim that North Koreans with access to to laptops hack theirs smartphones with the help of the Chinese the program. After modification, North Koreans can install applications on devices that are not allowed by the government.

Also, the hacked device allows you to delete screen shots that are constantly taken by the Trace Viewer program. This program is installed on all smartphones sold in North Korea, it constantly creates screenshots and does not allow them to be deleted.

This practice is not very common in the country: about 10% of the population tried to modify smartphones, usually with the help of people who were sent to China to learn programming.

The Lumen report notes that a segment for the sale of hacked mobile devices with full access to the DPRK market has already formed to the Internet^[1]

2019: How North Korea uses technology to cut the population off from the outside world. 10 ways

In late December 2019, Business Insider released an article talking about how North Korea uses technology to cut off the population from the outside world. Journalists listed 10 main methods used by the local government.

1 Tight control of the Internet

North Korea is not completely cut off from the internet, as evidenced by numerous hacks allegedly committed by state hackers operating inside the country. But the Network is tightly controlled by the state and is not accessible to the general population.

All infrastructure is run by the state, and security services are closely integrated into telecommunications networks, said independent journalist Martin Williams , who specializes in North Korean information technology.

2 Import cheap Androidsmartphones-, which is then modified to spy on citizens.

Residents of North Korea can buy, smartphones produced only in, China but sold only under a local brand. The devices are similar to regular phones, but they have spyware installed in them. ON The same applies to computers.

3 Spyware can track which sites are visited in North Korea

The program carefully monitors the Internet activity of the population. At random intervals, she sends screenshots of the screen to a special server. Although the authorities rather do not have the resources to check all screenshots, this is an excellent technique that inspires self-censorship for fear, said Martin Williams.

4 It is impossible to call outside the country

The local mobile operator, whose system was created with the participation of the Egyptian firm Orascom, only serves calls within the country.  SMS It is impossible to call or write a message outside North Korea. In addition, a few foreigners working in the country or arriving for tourist purposes are given phone numbers that differ from the rest of the North Koreans. SIM Cards issued to foreigners when leaving the country are taken and deactivated.

5 Radio and television receivers catch only the frequencies of state media

All receiving equipment perceives only the frequency range in which the state media broadcasts. Listening to or watching foreign broadcasts is illegal. The authorities regularly conduct raids in order to identify and remove devices that can receive a signal from abroad. In addition, transfers from neighboring countries, especially from South Korea, are "jammed" by special means.

6 If you open a media file created abroad on a North Korean device, the country's authorities will find out about it

If someone watches a foreign movie on their device, a special tag is superimposed on this file and will be monitored in the future. Therefore, if someone distributes a lot of foreign content among fellow citizens, the regime will probably find out about it.

7 Death sentence for watching porn

Martin Williams says he interacted with those who fled North Korea for Japan, China or South Korea. They said North Koreans could be sentenced to death for watching illegal content, including pornography and films critical of Kim Jong Un or his family.

8 Own Games Release

The government has come up with a way to combat the desire of citizens to join something foreign - North Korea produces its own mobile games.

9 There are no public Wi-Fi networks

North Korea has launched its own Mirae network, which requires an app to connect to. According to official data, this application provides access to the North Korean local network, but does not provide access to the world Internet.

10 TV broadcasting is strictly controlled

There is no access in North Korea, Netflix but as in other countries of the world, streaming is developing here. There are two IPTV services in the country, and consoles for them are imported from, and China then modified to spy on subscribers.^[2]

Internet access

2023: How the internet works in North Korea: New refugee evidence

Internet access for most North Koreans remains an unattainable luxury. The country's internal network, although severely censored, is also inaccessible to many citizens. This is stated in a study by the organization People for Successful Corean Reunification (Pscore), the results of which were released on June 8, 2023.

The Pscore report is based on 24 personal interviews with refugees and a survey of 158 other people. All left North Korea between 2012 and 2022. It is said that Internet access is available only in certain places and buildings in North Korea. Those who want to enter the global network need to obtain special permission: the process of issuing it can be delayed for several days and requires the approval of various officials. But even in case of a positive answer, people are allowed to use the Internet only for one hour. If you need more time, you need to get a new permission.

The entire process of working on the Web is controlled, and the materials that North Koreans can view say little about the world outside the country. Moreover, the North Koreans are even unfamiliar with the concept of Wi-Fi. One of the study participants describes the process of working on the Internet as follows:

An official sits between two users and constantly monitors what people are looking for and browsing the Internet. Every five minutes, the screen is automatically locked, and the supervisor must perform fingerprint authentication to allow further Internet use.

It is noted that several dozen families associated with Kim Jong-un, as well as some foreign persons, have unlimited access to the Internet. At the same time, "several thousand" people, including government officials, researchers and students studying information technology, can access the Web with strict censorship.^[3]

2019

Chinese tech company Huawei secretly helped the North Korean government establish and maintain a commercial wireless network in the country. Huawei, in collaboration with the Chinese state-owned company Panda International Information Technology, has been working on a number of projects in the DPRK for eight years,^[4] reported] in July 2019 by The Washington Post, citing internal company documents obtained from its former^[5] employees^[6] its^[7].

As the newspaper notes, such activities of Huawei, which used American technologies in its components, may indicate a violation by the company of export control rules USA for the supply of equipment to North Korea. Under the rules, it is illegal to supply Pyongyang with equipment that contains more than 10% of American components. According to the documents, Panda provided Huawei with base stations, antennas and other equipment necessary to launch the wireless network. Huawei also partnered with China's Dandong Kehua, which was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in November 2017 for exporting/importing goods to North Korea.

The U.S. Commerce Department has investigated alleged ties between Huawei and North Korea since 2016, but has never publicly linked them. Ministry officials have yet to comment. Huawei has "no business presence" in North Korea, company officials said. Joe Kelly, the company's vice president of foreign press relations, refused to answer questions, including whether Huawei did business in the DPRK in the past, directly or indirectly. Kelly did not dispute the authenticity of the documents handed over to the publication, although he refused to verify them.

2017

In early October 2017, it became known about the second source of North Korea's connection to to the Internet. Russia

According to Reuters, citing data from Dyn Research, which specializes in monitoring Internet connections, at 6:00 Moscow time on October 1, 2017, the Russian Transtelecom began providing routing services for web traffic from the DPRK. Read more here. And also in the article Censorship (control and anonymity) on the Internet. DPRK.

Bloomberg also reports this with reference to cybersecurity specialists from FireEye^[8] the ^[9]. FireEye confirmed the creation of a new connection by checking the routing tables. Prior to this, the Internet in the DPRK went through the Chinese state-owned company China United Network Communications Ltd. See the internet in North Korea for more details.

2016

In September 2016, due to the reconfiguration of DNS servers, sites in the.kp top-level domain zone became available around the world. In total, North Korea had at its disposal 28 portals in this Internet zone^[10]. Of course, the Internet space of Korea is not limited only to these 28 sites. But the country not so long ago - in 2007 - got its own top-level domain. And only since 2011 it was possible to go to sites in the.kp zone directly by their domain name, and not the IP address.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) does not have accurate information regarding the number of users from the DPRK and the development of communication infrastructure in this country. Representatives of an international organization engaged in the standardization of networks and the decisive problem of the telecom industry note that the country's leadership does not respond to proposals for cooperation and does not disclose information about its Internet space.

North Korea and South Korea: Figures and charts on two-state differences

July 27, 1953, that is, about 70 years ago, the Korean War ended. Once a single state was divided into two countries, which followed completely different development paths. South Korea The newspaper ""told about the key differences between North Korea and August 12, 2023.Kommersant

Despite the smaller territory, South Korea significantly overtakes North in terms of road length - 100.4 thousand km against 25.5 thousand km. At the same time, only 3% of roads in the north have a hard surface, although there are very few cars here.

On the other hand, according to some indicators, North Korea still took the lead - for example, in the number of death executions. In South Korea, the last time such measures were implemented was in December 1997 (since then there has been a moratorium). According to Kommersant, the two countries are usually at different ends of international ratings assessing the socio-political and economic aspects of life. Experts call excessive militarization one of the reasons for the economic backwardness of the north.

North Korea has a strict ban on residents accessing the Internet. Many citizens are also forced to remain without electricity for a long time. At the same time, South Korea is one of the world leaders in terms of introducing modern communications and IT technologies. Despite the fact that life is much harder in the north, they drink and smoke more in the south. It is noted that South Korea is considered the most drinking nation in Asia.^[11]

Foreign policy

2024

South Korea broadcasts propaganda at DPRK border, while North Korea sends thousands of trash balloons to neighbor

The South Korean government does not restrict the broadcast of propaganda across the border against the DPRK, which caused the launch of garbage balls into the country from North Korea.

In September 2024, the DPRK once again sent garbage balls to the territory of South Korea. Since May, several thousand of them have already been sent, and recently the 20th anniversary launch took place.

Everything happens according to the standard scheme - North Korea sends "gifts," and in South they wait for them to fall themselves to then remove waste. They fundamentally refuse to shoot down such air targets for fear of damaging infrastructure.

Pyongyang is well aware of this and does not plan to reduce the scale of such raids. According to the latest estimates, the material damage from them for the authorities in Seoul is $140 thousand. Moreover, during the last launches of the balls, fires broke out at least twice at the places where they fell.

And although the level of public dissatisfaction with the approach of the South Korean authorities is growing, the government is not yet going to take serious measures to combat the problem.

Authorities in Seoul could follow in the footsteps of a past administration that restricted provocative actions by its own activists. Such moves, however, do not fit into the current president's overt anti-North Korean policies.

Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea

Russian President Putin waves goodbye to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the end of a visit in June 2024

Russia gives Aurus limousine to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

In February 2024, the president Russia Vladimir Putin presented a new car to leader North Korea Kim Jong-un, who loves luxury limousines. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Kim Jong-un received a new one. Aurus

2023

Official rejection of the course for unification with South Korea due to its status as a US colony

On December 31, 2023, the DPRK media announced the completion of the Plenum of the Central Committee of the Korean Labor Party, which lasted five days. On the final day, the leader of the Juche Country Kim Jong-un made a report.

Kim openly and directly stated that Pyongyang no longer intends to try to seek unification with South Korea, and will build relations with it as an ordinary other country, and hostile. This means abandoning the line to unite Korea, which is, without exaggeration, a change in the entire strategy of the DPRK's actions in relation to "blood brothers" in the South. Apparently, this is how North Korea reacted to the extremely pro-American and hostile course of the government of the Republic of Korea, led by President Yun Seok Yol.

"Our party has concluded that there will never be an opportunity to achieve unification with the Republic of Korea, which has made it a state policy to unite on the basis of absorption and uniformity of the system. This contradicts our course of uniting the Fatherland on the basis of the principle of "one people, one state, two systems," the Korean Central Telegraph Agency quoted the leader as saying.

The South Korean authorities were called "henchmen of the colonial administration" of the United States, and therefore the discussion with them of unification issues does not correspond to the national dignity and status of the DPRK. "In what is today called South Korea, politics is completely disappearing, their entire society is mired in Yankee culture. This is just a colonial dependent state that fully relies on the United States for defense and security issues, "he added.

The army and people were also instructed to prepare for a possible nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula "in order to force preparations for such a great event as the capture of the DPRK under the control of the entire territory of South Korea."

One of the RG sources, on condition of anonymity, said the following: "When the Russian side tried to convince Kim to develop relations with Seoul several years ago, as this would help the implementation of trilateral projects with the participation of the Russian Federation, he replied the following:" I did everything they wanted, I went to their territory, held several summits, received their president at home. And what's the answer? In response, there are simply some indicative political shows, and when it comes to real cooperation, the southerners complain, they say, without the consent of the United States, we cannot do anything. And how to work with them after that? What kind of association can we talk about? "

Kim Jong-un's meetings with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in the DPRK and Russia

In July 2023, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to an arms show featuring banned ballistic missiles as neighbors vowed to strengthen relations.

Nuclear-tipped missiles have been banned by Security Council resolutions UN passed with the support Russia of and, China but at the show they provided a bright backdrop for the three countries' show of solidarity, united by rivalries with and USA a revival, according to some analysts, of their Cold War-era coalition.

Shoigu makes the first visit by a Russian defense minister to North Korea since the collapse of the Soviet Union. For North Korea, the arrival of the Russian and Chinese delegations marks its first serious discovery to the world since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rally of 100 thousand people in support of the destruction of the American empire

In June 2023, North Korea held one of the largest anti-American rallies in recent years, with more than 100,000 people carrying banners promising to "destroy the American empire" and denouncing Washington seeking talks with Pyongyang.

Speakers called for the "destruction of American imperialists" at a weekend rally marking the 73rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950.

Support for Russia during a special operation in Ukraine

In 2023, Kim Jong-un congratulated Vladimir Putin on Russia Day, celebrated on June 12. In the telegram, he expressed full support and solidarity with the Russian people, readiness to strengthen strategic cooperation "The persistent and wise Russian people, having taken deep roots on a vast territory, for many years created a proud history and culture, went through a path of development sheared with glory, demonstrating the dignity and impressive appearance of a powerful state. Today, the struggle of the Russian people to disrupt the growing threat and challenge hostile forces trying to undermine the sovereignty, security and peaceful life of the country is entering a new turning point by the right decision and under the leadership of Companion Putin. Justice will always win, and the Russian people will continue to glorify the history of victories - its inherent tradition. Our people express their full support and solidarity to the people of Russia, who are rushing towards the realization of international justice against the willfulness and arbitrariness of the imperialists. "

Armed Forces

Nuclear arsenal

2024: Underwater Nuclear Weapons Test

In January 2024, the DPRK tested underwater nuclear weapons in response to the exercises of the United States, South Korea and Japan - CTAC.

2023: Among the countries with the largest reserves of raw materials for nuclear weapons

2022: A law passed that enshrines the state's right to launch a preventive nuclear strike

In September 2022, the DPRK authorities adopted a new law that enshrines the state's right to launch a preventive nuclear strike on the enemy if Pyongyang considers a threat from him inevitable.

The new law also allows the DPRK to launch a nuclear strike on the enemy in automatic mode in the event of an attack on it.

Kim Jong-un said that the DPRK will not negotiate denuclearization:

"The possession of nuclear weapons is our legal and inalienable right. We do not intend to give up nuclear weapons. The new law makes denuclearization negotiations impossible. "

2021

2019: Map of nuclear facilities

Raketas

2024: Rise in missile tests

2023

Flight of 1000 km of North Korean missile became the longest in the history of the DPRK

On July 12, 2023, North Korea launched a ballistic missile towards Japan. It is said that the flight was the longest in the history of the DPRK.

According to The Guardian, the rocket flew about 1000 km. Japan's chief cabinet secretary said the rocket landed about 250km west of Okushiri Island in northern Hokkaido prefecture. The flight lasted approximately 74 minutes, while the rocket reached an altitude of over 6000 km.

It is known that North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile, which launched along a hinged trajectory. According to reports, the launch was carried out at a large angle.

The completed strata was the twelfth in a row for North Korea in 2023. In April 2023, the country conducted a test launch of its first solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, and at the end of May of the same year made an unsuccessful attempt to launch its first ever spy satellite on a new launch vehicle. North Korea conducted 37 tests in 2022.

The DPRK regularly tests missiles, including intercontinental ballistic models. In mid-April 2023, it was reported that Pyongyang had tested a new Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called the Hwasong-18 his most powerful weapon. North Korean missile launches cause alarm and confusion in the South, as well as in parts of Japan. So, for example, in Seoul, air raid sirens were even triggered earlier.

In connection with the launch of Tokyo, the DPRK protested. There is no information about the damage to Japanese ships and aircraft. But it is noted that South Korean President Yoon Seok-yol promised at the National Security Council that Pyongyang would "pay for the incident."^[12]

What missiles are in service with the DPRK

In service with the DPRK missile forces for March 2023 there are operational-tactical missiles "Hwason-11," medium-range ballistic missiles "Hwason-12," tests of cruise missiles from a submarine were carried out. In addition, there is an active revision of an intercontinental ballistic missile with a solid fuel engine.

From the end of October 2022 to March 2023, more than 60 units of ballistic missiles of different ranges, as well as 30 launchers of 600-mm MLRS KN-25, were produced at the Taesong Machine-Building Plant in Chhamjin.

2022

Drones

2023

North Korea reveals nuclear underwater drone Haeil-1

At the end of July 2023, North Korea first showed a nuclear underwater drone Haeil-1, follows from a report by the DPRK Central Telegraph Agency. The drone was displayed during a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. The event was held in Pyongyang. Chinese leader Kim Jong-un and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu watched the parade in the stands. Read more here.

Kim Jong-un showed Shoigu North Korean drones

At the end of July 2023, the head of the DPRK, Kim Jong-un, during a visit to the exhibition of weapons held in Pyongyang, showed Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu new North Korean unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are outwardly similar to the American one. The corresponding photos were published by the Central Telegraph Agency of Korea (CTAC).

The North Korean leader and the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense examined the latest weapons of the DPRK, and two samples of drones attracted special attention. It is noted that their banners presented photographs of UAVs in flight, which suggests that North Korea not only developed these drones, but also tested them.

The South Korean agency Renhap pointed out that one of the drones has an external resemblance to the American reconnaissance UAV RQ-4 Global Hawk, and the second resembles the SShAMQ-9 Reaper strike-reconnaissance drone. According to the agency, to create drones, the DPRK, presumably, could use the information obtained through hacker attacks.

MQ-9 are capable of simultaneously conducting reconnaissance and attack, "Yang Uk, a military analyst at the Asan Institute for Political Research, told NK News. - If you look at North Korean copies of the MQ-9, they have three combat modules per wing, that is, only six, and you will see that they are equipped with missiles similar to the American Hellfire. The American version of the MQ-9, for comparison, has two combat modules per wing or four in total.

Shoigu, during a meeting with Kim Jong-un, conveyed to him a personal message from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The head of North Korea, in turn, expressed gratitude for the message conveyed.

After a tour of the exhibition, Kim Jong-un and Shoigu watched a concert on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. It was also attended by a Chinese government delegation.^[13]

Banned ballistic missiles were on display as neighbours vowed to strengthen relations.

Nuclear-tipped missiles have been banned by Security Council resolutions UN passed with the support Russia of and, China but at the show they provided a bright backdrop for the three countries' show of solidarity, united by rivalries with and USA a revival, according to some analysts, of their Cold War-era coalition.

Shoigu makes the first visit by a Russian defense minister to North Korea since the collapse of the Soviet Union. For North Korea, the arrival of the Russian and Chinese delegations marks its first serious discovery to the world since the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIR FORCE

2023

Navy

2023: Submarines

Lighting. View from space

Hunger

Education

Literacy rate

Health care

Maternity leave

in

Astronautics

2023: North Korean spy satellite launch fails after engine malfunctions

The Chollima-1 rocket with the Malligyong-1 satellite launched from the Sohe cosmodrome on the west coast of the DPRK in Pyongan-Pukto province. The launch was made on May 31, 2023 at 6:27 local time. According to the Korean Central Telegraph Agency, shortly after launch, the rocket crashed off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. The crash, according to preliminary information, occurred due to problems in the engine system: the carrier lost traction after the separation of the first stage. The failure occurred in the second stage power unit, the statement said. Read more here.

Economy

GDP

2023: Real GDP growth of 3.1%

North Korea's real GDP grew 3.1% in 2023. Heavy industry is leading the way in growth.

2022: GDP $24.5 billion

North Korea's GDP in 2022 is estimated at about $24.5 billion.

Labour market

2024: Posing as Americans, North Korean tech workers sign remote work contracts with hundreds of U.S. companies

Posing as Americans, North Korean tech workers have contracted to work remotely with hundreds of U.S. companies in a scheme designed to secure funding for Pyongyang's illegal nuclear weapons and missile programs, the U.S. government said Thursday.

More than 300 American companies were deceived, according to the US Department of Justice in May 2024.

2023: Labour exports to obtain currency by the government

In April 2023, Japan, South Korea and the United States called on countries to return North Korean workers illegally working abroad.

Workers were sent abroad in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, and countries that host those workers could facilitate illegal activities, the statement said. "UN member states have a duty to repatriate all workers from the DPRK who receive income in their jurisdiction."

North Korea typically takes about 90% of the wages earned by workers, using foreign currency to support its nuclear weapons programs, according to a report by a panel of experts to the Security Council.

Foreign trade

2023

Possible delivery of 3 million shells to Russia

North Korea sent containers to Russia that could hold millions of artillery shells, according to a senior South Korean official voiced in February 2024.

North Korea is estimated to have shipped about 6,700 containers to Russia, speeding up the pace of deliveries after Russian President Putin held a summit with Kim Jong Un in September 2023. The containers could hold about 3 million 152 mm shells. In exchange, Russia supplies North Korea with food, raw materials and parts used in weapons production.

Slow recovery of exports to China and recovery of imports from China to 2008 levels

2022: China accounts for 99% of DPRK imports and 69% of exports

2021: China trade slump

2017: China, India and Russia - Key Trading Partners

Digitalization and Robotization

Using ABB robots

At the end of November 2019, industrial robots created by the Swiss company ABB, which should not be there, were seen in images from North Korea. The supply of industrial equipment to North Korea is prohibited in accordance with UN sanctions due to the nuclear weapons program supported by the DPRK government. ABB said it did not violate international sanctions on North Korea, but its equipment was likely resold without the manufacturer's permission. Read more here.

Information technology in the DPRK: Facial recognition system and data encryption, VPN and regular sites

The products of the IT sector of North Korea do not fall under international sanctions, although in 2017, unilateral restrictive measures on the DPRK in this area were imposed by US President Donald Trump by decree. At the same time, the authors of the report note, due to the intangible nature of the IT sector's services, these sanctions turn out to be quite easy to bypass^[14]

Companies hide their connection with the DPRK government by creating chains of intermediary organizations, mainly in China, Southeast Asia, Africa and Russia: formally, the ultimate sellers of IT technologies have nothing to do with Pyongyang, and the authorities of the aforementioned countries are often not too interested in conducting investigations to establish the ultimate owners.

The products produced by these companies are extremely diverse - from data encryption software and VPNs to fingerprint scanning technologies (purchased by Chinese companies and the Nigerian government) and facial recognition programs. Companies associated with the DPRK also earn on simpler things, such as creating business management systems or regular websites for millions of corporate clients around the world.

Pyongyang-affiliated structures have found numerous clients in the West, from small private companies in Europe to "at least one influential defense company in a US ally country," as well as American elementary schools and law enforcement agencies. The authors of the report express concern that in fact in this way Washington and its allies can indirectly pay for the DPRK's nuclear program, including from taxpayer funds.

Another reason for concern - no one reliably knows what vulnerabilities can be initially embedded in the IT products of Korean companies and how they can then be used. According to the US authorities, it was the DPRK that was behind the WannaCry virus, which in the spring of 2017 hit more than 200 thousand computers around the world, and is also responsible for the theft of 100 million dollars from the accounts of Bangladesh Bank.

Smartphone market

2024: North Korea's First Smartphone Market Survey

As of 2024, smartphones in North Korea sell at least ten brands. In two years, this figure has more than doubled. Some companies have begun to follow marketing strategies from overseas competitors, offering multiple versions of the same device at different prices, giving consumers more choice than ever before. This is stated in the study of the Stimson Center, the results of which were published at the end of September 2024.

It is noted that, despite the improvement in the availability of smartphones, the market is tightly controlled by the authorities. The devices offered to consumers have limited functionality, which is why they are suitable only for basic communications. In addition, users can only consume content that is approved by North Korean regulators.

How North Korea's smartphone market works

The report says that in total, about 55 smartphone models are available on the DPRK market. These are devices from brands such as Arirang, Chongsong, Hwawon, Jindallae, Kiltongmu, Madusan, Myohyang, Furunhanal, Pyongyang, etc. Models of various levels have appeared in the assortment of North Korean smartphone suppliers - budget and more expensive, the cost of which exceeds $700. North Korean companies are installing a modified version that operating system Android includes various restrictions.

For 2024, the main cellular standard in North Korea is 3G. At the end of 2023, information appeared that the development of 4G infrastructure began in the country. In addition, the DPRK has a Mirae Wi-Fi wireless network, which, according to reports, is capable of providing throughput up to 70 Mbps, which is significantly higher compared to the local 3G mobile network.^[15]

Consumption

2023: Fish consumption is higher than meat consumption

2018: Minimum age to purchase alcoholic beverages

Crime

Cybercrime and cyber conflict

Main article: Cybercrime and cyber conflicts: DPRK

Prisons

2019: The minimum age for children to be jailed is 14

History

2023

Kim Jong Un's daughter becomes public persona without a name

North Korea has not said whether Kim Jong Un's daughter has siblings. As of April 2023, her age remains a mystery.

The world does not even officially know her name, and yet since November 2022 it has become a new element of the propaganda apparatus of the state.

She appears next to her father as he fires his weapon, dines with the generals, and leads parades with thousands of soldiers.

Western pressure: 2.1 thousand sanctions against the DPRK

2021: The first congress of the ruling party in 5 years

In January 2021, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un began the first congress of the country's ruling party in 5 years.

In his opening speech, Kim said the party would be looking for a "new path" to make a "big leap forward."

The convention announced that North Korea plans to develop better nuclear technology and missiles.

Leader Kim Jong Un called the US a "military monster" and its "biggest main enemy." He said he would focus on "conquering" the US and continue to build up nuclear capabilities to ensure North Korea's "autonomous development."

Also, during the six-day session of the VIII Congress of the Korean Labor Party, DPRK leader Kim Jong-un was elected party secretary general as Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung.

2020: Kim Jong-un has handed over some of his powers to sister Kym E Chen

In August 2020, the head of the DPRK, Kim Jong-un, transferred part of his powers to a group of officials and appointed his sister Kym E Chen as actually the second person in the country's leadership, the South Korean National Intelligence Agency reported on Thursday.

Kim Ye Chen, who holds the post of first deputy head of the organizational and instructor department of the Central Committee of the Korean Labor Party, is now responsible for Pyongyang's relations with Seoul and Washington. At the same time, it is noted that she is still not named the successor to Kim Jong-un.

Two other high-ranking officials are charged with economic management duties, two high-ranking military officials have been appointed in part responsible for defense issues previously overseen by Kim Jong Un.

According to North Korean media, the changes became known after Kim Jong-un announced at the plenum of the Central Committee of the Korean Labor Party that the country "faced a number of unexpected and inevitable difficulties" and there is a "significant delay in the implementation of goals to improve the standard of living of the people."

2019

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1983

1956: CPSU delegation visits DPRK

1953

1950: Outbreak of the Korean War

North and South leaders Kim Jong Il and Lee Seung Man wanted the country united, but under different flags and different ideas. On the border of 38 parallels, armed skirmishes broke out many times. And on June 25, 1950, the war began. North Korean troops quickly defeated their enemy, captured the capital Seoul and by October reached the city of Busan in the very south.

And at this stage, the civil war began to turn into an international one.

More than 260 thousand Americans fought on the side of the South, not counting the US Navy and Air Force operating off the coast of Korea. In addition to the United States, the multinational forces included limited contingents of 15 countries.

The Korean People's Army could not withstand such a blow. The forces were too unequal. Suffice it to say that the North Korean army had 40 tanks, and their opponents - 500 and so on all types of modern weapons. The front quickly rolled back, crossed 38 parallels and approached the border river Yalujiang, which separates China and Korea.

And only then Chinese volunteers entered the battle on the side of the DPRK, and Soviet pilots covered them from the sky.

1945: The division of Korea into North and South

The division of Korea into the DPRK and the Republic of Korea occurred in 1945 after the defeat of Japan, which had previously ruled Korea, in World War II. The United States and the USSR signed an agreement on joint management of the country. The line of division of the zones of influence of the two superpowers passed along the 38th parallel.

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