Latest news with #Kwangmyong
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Smartphone smuggled from North Korea automatically censors 'oppa'
[Source] A North Korean smartphone smuggled out of the country by Seoul-based media outlet Daily NK in late 2024 has revealed new evidence of the regime's surveillance over its citizens. The smartphone contains state-installed software that censors language, monitors user behavior and restricts access to unauthorized content. Automatic censorship The phone, which resembles a standard Android device, replaces certain words typed by users with politically approved alternatives. For example, 'South Korea' is changed to 'puppet state,' and 'oppa' is substituted with 'comrade,' accompanied by an on-screen warning. It also silently takes screenshots every five minutes and saves them in hidden folders. These files are inaccessible to the user but can be reviewed by authorities. Trending on NextShark: Controlled digital environment Users are limited to a domestic intranet called Kwangmyong, which only provides access to government-approved websites. The phone is configured to block foreign networks and prevents the installation of unauthorized apps. Attempts to alter the device's software can trigger automatic shutdown or data deletion, according to analysts who examined the phone's firmware. Trending on NextShark: Laws in North Korea prohibit access to foreign media, and violations can result in imprisonment, forced labor or even death. Devices capable of circumventing official controls are banned. This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Trending on NextShark: Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Subscribe here now! Trending on NextShark: Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Al Jazeera
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
North Korea's internet hit by a major outage, says analyst
Internet access in North Korea has experienced a major outage, according to a United Kingdom-based monitor, but the exact cause may be internal rather than the result of a cyberattack. Junade Ali, a researcher who monitors the North Korean internet, said on Saturday that the secretive country's entire internet infrastructure is not registering on systems that monitor global internet activity. 'A major outage is currently occurring on North Korea's internet – affecting all routes whether they come in via China or Russia,' Ali said. 'Hard to say if this is intentional or accidental – but seems like this is internal rather than an attack,' he said. Pyongyang maintains several externally accessible government websites, including those for its Foreign Ministry and official news sources such as the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA). Both of these sites were down when Al Jazeera attempted to access them on Saturday morning. Almost all of the country's internet links and traffic are believed to pass through Chinese servers. It is not known how many people have direct access to the global internet in North Korea, but estimates place the figure at a small fraction of 1 percent of the country's population of some 25 million. A highly-monitored and curated intranet is offered to North Korean citizens – known as Kwangmyong – while global internet access is strictly limited in the authoritarian country. The country has been the target of cyberattacks in the past, including in January 2022, when United States-based hacker Alejandro Caceres removed every publicly visible North Korean website and kept them down for more than a week using distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. North Korea, ruled by third-generation dictator Kim Jong Un, has been accused by US and United Nations officials of operating armies of hackers from within the country as part of an escalating campaign of global cyber theft. In a report published in December, US blockchain analysis firm, Chainalysis, said North Korean hackers set a new record for cyber theft in 2024, stealing more than $1.34bn worth of cryptocurrency through 47 cyberattacks.
Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Oppa' becomes ‘comrade' & screenshots every 5 minutes: What phone smuggled out of North Korea reveals
A video investigation by the BBC has shown how smartphones in North Korea are tightly controlled by the state, leaving no room for private use or access to outside information. The phone analysed by the BBC was smuggled out of North Korea in late 2024. It runs on a modified version of Android that blocks internet access completely and only allows users to connect to a local intranet called Kwangmyong. This network only hosts information approved by the North Korean government. 🇰🇵 A phone belonging to a North Korean citizen was seized. – When typing 'South Korea' on the keyboard, it changes to 'Puppet State.' – Every 5 minutes, a screenshot is taken and sent to the government. — Foster 🦅🇳🇬🏴 (@F_JONHSON) June 1, 2025 Experts who studied the device say that it automatically rewrites text to match government language. For example, if someone types 'South Korea,' the phone changes it to 'puppet state,' which is North Korea's official term for its neighbour. Similarly, typing 'oppa'—a common South Korean word for an older brother or boyfriend—brings up a warning. The phone tells users: 'This word can only be used to describe your siblings.' It then replaces the word with 'comrade.' One of the more serious findings is that the phone secretly takes a screenshot every five minutes. These images are saved in a hidden folder that users cannot see, but which the authorities can access. Any attempt to modify the phone or use it to access outside content is treated as a crime. The BBC report highlights how the North Korean government uses such technology to promote its political beliefs and control how people communicate. A tech analyst in the report said, 'It's not just about blocking the internet. It's about rewriting the way people think and speak.' North Korea and South Korea have remained hostile since the Korean War ended in 1953 with no peace treaty. Pyongyang continues to view the South as a breakaway region and maintains strict control over any information that might challenge that view.
NDTV
02-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Smuggled North Korean Phone Reveals Extreme Censorship, Surveillance: "Screenshot Every 5 Min"
A smartphone smuggled out of North Korea has revealed fresh insights into the extent of censorship and surveillance that the Kim Jong Un regime oversees in the hermit nation. The device, obtained by BBC in late 2024 via defector networks or underground routes, and analysed by tech experts, showed that nearly all smartphones run a modified version of Android. These devices are embedded with tools that aim to enforce the state's ideology, perpetuate the hate campaign against neighbouring South Korea and monitor every movement made by its citizens in the online sphere. Akin to the way North Korea operates as a country in seclusion, internet access is completely blocked on the phone. Instead, the users are restricted to a closed intranet system known as Kwangmyong, which hosts only state-approved content and offers no connection to the outside world. One of the most disturbing aspects of the phone is its automatic rewriting of content. For instance, the word 'oppa' -- widely used in South Korean popular culture to refer to boyfriends is automatically corrected to 'comrade' on North Korean smartphones. A warning is also issued when the word is used, stating: 'This word can only be used to describe your siblings.' Similarly, typing 'South Korea' in the phone results in the phrase being automatically changed to "puppet state" -- North Korea's official name for the South. 🇰🇵 A phone belonging to a North Korean citizen was seized. - When typing 'South Korea' on the keyboard, it changes to 'Puppet State.' - Every 5 minutes, a screenshot is taken and sent to the government. — Foster 🦅🇳🇬🏴 (@F_JONHSON) June 1, 2025 The investigation also revealed that a screenshot of the phone screen is taken every five minutes and stored in a hidden folder that is inaccessible to users but available to state authorities for surveillance purposes. Altering these devices to access external content is considered a serious criminal offence. The hostilities between North and South Korea have been widely reported. For decades, Pyongyang has demanded that the South cede its sovereignty to it. The three-year Korean War, which started when communist North Korea invaded South Korea, ended in an armistice in 1953 without a peace treaty ever being signed.
Mint
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Type ‘South Korea'? The phone calls it a ‘Puppet State' — Inside North Korea's shocking surveillance
A smartphone smuggled out of North Korea has uncovered shocking evidence of the regime's extreme surveillance tactics and linguistic manipulation, shedding light on how Kim Jong-un's government continues to tighten its grip over the country's population. The device, obtained by the BBC in late 2024 and analysed by tech experts, reveals that North Korean smartphones—running a heavily modified version of Android—are embedded with tools specifically designed to enforce state ideology, censor foreign influence, and monitor citizens' every digital move. One of the most disturbing features is the phone's automatic rewriting of certain terms. Typing 'South Korea' into the phone replaces it with 'puppet state,' a derogatory term used in North Korean propaganda. Similarly, the word 'oppa,' a common South Korean expression for an older brother or boyfriend, is forcibly changed to 'comrade,' accompanied by a warning: 'This word can only be used to describe your siblings.' These changes reflect North Korea's broader policy of linguistic control—redefining language itself to shape perception and loyalty. The phone is also equipped with hidden surveillance functions. It silently takes screenshots every five minutes and stores them in a hidden folder that is inaccessible to users but available to state authorities. This, as stated by a reporter for the BBC, allows officials to monitor individual behavior in real-time and maintain complete control over what citizens are doing on their devices. Internet access is entirely blocked. Instead, North Korean users are restricted to a closed intranet system known as Kwangmyong, which hosts only state-approved content and offers no connection to the outside world. The phone's escape from North Korea—believed to have been smuggled across the Chinese border via defector networks or underground routes—offers a rare window into one of the world's most secretive and tightly controlled regimes. North Korea's information lockdown is among the most comprehensive in the world. Citizens are systematically cut off from foreign news, media, and culture, particularly from South Korea, which is officially considered an enemy state. The smartphone's software plays a key role in this digital iron curtain—subverting words, spying on users, and shaping minds in service of the regime. As North Korea escalates its 'information war' against outside influence, the smuggled phone stands as stark evidence of a society where even casual conversation is controlled.
