Latest news with #Orwellian
Mint
an hour ago
- Politics
- Mint
How North Korea's Kim Jong Un keeps a close vigil? ‘Mobile screenshot every 5 min,' auto-corrects content and more
North Korea's Kim Jong Un administration continues to be in the limelight for its overtly controlling practices. Fresh evidence of Orwellian practices has emerged after a phone smuggled out of North Korea revealed chilling details about how the secretive dictatorship is exercising control over its people. To suppress cultural influence from South Korea and any potential uprising, the North Korean regime is a step ahead and is using modern technology for its draconian clampdown. BBC recently analysed a smartphone smuggled out of North Korea last year. All of these devices do not have access to internet. North Korean government uses language auto corrector to censor common South Korean slangs. The term 'South Korea' is auto-corrected to read 'puppet state,' while 'oppa,' which refer to a boyfriend in South Korea, is replaced with the word 'comrade" which is more communist-friendly alternative, BBC investigation discovered. The most chilling revelations that have surfaced are that of 'screenshots every five minutes.' In the video, BBC correspondent assessed the smuggled gadget physically, she can be heard saying, 'The phone is taking screenshot every five minutes or so, but the user can't open these files, only the authorities can so they can see what people are looking at or sharing things they are not supposed to." This shows how North Korea's totalitarian regime is harnessing technology to eliminate influence from the outside world and isolate its citizens to continue its authoritarian rule. 'Smartphones are now part and parcel of the way North Korea tries to indoctrinate people,' BBC quoted expert in North Korean technology and information, Martyn Williams, as saying. The extent of control can be assessed by the censorship on South Korean TV dramas, outside newspapers and TV channels and ban on use of South Korean phrases or South Korean accent which equates to a state crime. Even styling hair and dressing like a South Korean can attract disciplinary action. Key Takeaways North Korea employs advanced technology to censor and surveil its citizens. The regime's use of auto-correct features illustrates the extent of cultural suppression. Frequent screenshots taken by phones highlight the invasive monitoring practices of the government.
Sky News AU
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Screenshot every five minutes: Smartphone smuggled out of North Korea shows the insane things Kim Jong Un does to control his ‘suffocated' people
A smartphone smuggled out of North Korea has revealed the astonishing levels of control the secretive dictatorship is exercising over its people. The phone, which from the outside appears no different from a normal device, issued warnings about using South Korean slang words to users, and auto-corrected 'South Korea' to read 'puppet state,' an investigation from the BBC found. It would also covertly take a screenshot every five minutes, storing the images in a secret folder which the user couldn't access, but which presumably were accessible to North Korean authorities. When the user tried to type in the word 'oppa,' which means older brother in Korean, but has come to be used to refer to a boyfriend in South Korean slang, the phone would auto-correct the word to the more communist-friendly alternative, 'comrade.' A warning would then flash up, warning the phone's user that the term 'oppa' could only be used for older siblings, the BBC investigation found. The bizarre Orwellian practices with a 21st-century twist were revealed after Daily NK, a Seoul-based media organization, secretly smuggled the North Korean cell phone out of the country late last year. It is only the latest example of a draconian clampdown on modern technology by Kim Jong Un's authoritarian regime, revealing that the dictatorship may be winning the battle of the tech world. 'Smartphones are now part and parcel of the way North Korea tries to indoctrinate people,' Martyn Williams, a senior fellow at the Washington DC-based Stimson Center, and an expert in North Korean technology and information, told the BBC. North Korea is now 'starting to gain the upper hand' in the information war, he warned. In other signs of a hardening of the rules, using South Korean phrases or speaking in a South Korean accent were officially made a state crime by Kim in 2023. Members of 'youth crackdown squads' are seen patrolling the streets, monitoring the behavior of young North Koreans. North Korean dissident, Kang Gyuri, 24, told the BBC she would be stopped and reprimanded for styling her hair and dressing like a South Korean. She escaped the hermit regime by boat in 2023 and now lives in South Korea. Kang said goon squads would also confiscate her phone and read her text messages to check for any forbidden South Korean terms. This tougher approach from Kim's regime is in response to the efforts of the South Korean government to spread subversive messages north of the border and open the eyes of the North Korean people to how drastically different life is in the South. While all outside newspapers and TV channels are banned in the North, a small number of broadcasters have been able to secretly transmit information into the country late at night via short and medium radio waves. Thousands of USB sticks and micro-SD cards containing South Korean dramas and K-pop songs are also smuggled over the border every month, often hidden inside boxes of fruit. Much of this work is funded by the US government, with some warning that recent aid cuts by President Trump could risk giving Kim the upper hand. 'The reason for this control is that so much of the mythology around the Kim family is made up. A lot of what they tell people is lies,' Martyn Williams said. For dissidents such as Kang, her first exposure to the outside world was via some of these illicit radio broadcasts and K-dramas, which led to her desperation to get out of the communist dystopia. 'I felt so suffocated, and I suddenly had an urge to leave,' she said. 'I used to think it was normal that the state restricted us so much. I thought other countries lived with this control. But then I realized it was only in North Korea,' she said. Originally published as Screenshot every five minutes: Smartphone smuggled out of North Korea shows the insane things Kim Jong Un does to control his 'suffocated' people
New York Post
17 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
North Korean smartphone that was smuggled out shows the insane things Kim Jong Un is doing to control his people
A smartphone smuggled out of North Korea has revealed the astonishing levels of control the secretive dictatorship is exercising over its people. The phone, which from the outside appears no different from a normal device, issued warnings about using South Korean slang words to users, and auto-corrected 'South Korea' to read 'puppet state,' an investigation from the BBC found. It would also covertly take a screenshot every five minutes, storing the images in a secret folder which the user couldn't access, but which presumably were accessible to North Korean authorities. Advertisement When the user tried to type in the word 'oppa,' which means older brother in Korean, but has come to be used to refer to a boyfriend in South Korean slang, the phone would auto-correct the word to the more communist-friendly alternative, 'comrade.' A warning would then flash up, warning the phone's user that the term 'oppa' could only be used for older siblings, the BBC investigation found. 4 A smuggled North Korean smartphone has revealed Kim Jong Un's astonishing efforts to control his people. Getty Images Advertisement The bizarre Orwellian practices with a 21st-century twist were revealed after Daily NK, a Seoul-based media organization, secretly smuggled the North Korean cell phone out of the country late last year. It is only the latest example of a draconian clampdown on modern technology by Kim Jong Un's authoritarian regime, revealing that the dictatorship may be winning the battle of the tech world. 4 The smartphone would autocorrect South Korean slang and secretly took screenshots every five minutes. BBC 'Smartphones are now part and parcel of the way North Korea tries to indoctrinate people,' Martyn Williams, a senior fellow at the Washington DC-based Stimson Center, and an expert in North Korean technology and information, told the BBC. Advertisement North Korea is now 'starting to gain the upper hand' in the information war, he warned. In other signs of a hardening of the rules, using South Korean phrases or speaking in a South Korean accent were officially made a state crime by Kim in 2023. Members of 'youth crackdown squads' are seen patrolling the streets, monitoring the behavior of young North Koreans. North Korean dissident, Kang Gyuri, 24, told the BBC she would be stopped and reprimanded for styling her hair and dressing like a South Korean. She escaped the hermit regime by boat in 2023 and now lives in South Korea. Advertisement 4 Kim made using South Korean slang a crime in 2023. via REUTERS Kang said goon squads would also confiscate her phone and read her text messages to check for any forbidden South Korean terms. This tougher approach from Kim's regime is in response to the efforts of the South Korean government to spread subversive messages north of the border and open the eyes of the North Korean people to how drastically different life is in the South. While all outside newspapers and TV channels are banned in the North, a small number of broadcasters have been able to secretly transmit information into the country late at night via short and medium radio waves. 4 Kim has looked to tightly control any information his people can access. KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Images Thousands of USB sticks and micro-SD cards containing South Korean dramas and K-pop songs are also smuggled over the border every month, often hidden inside boxes of fruit. Much of this work is funded by the US government, with some warning that recent aid cuts by President Trump could risk giving Kim the upper hand. 'The reason for this control is that so much of the mythology around the Kim family is made up. A lot of what they tell people is lies,' Martyn Williams said. Advertisement For dissidents such as Kang, her first exposure to the outside world was via some of these illicit radio broadcasts and K-dramas, which led to her desperation to get out of the communist dystopia. 'I felt so suffocated, and I suddenly had an urge to leave,' she said. 'I used to think it was normal that the state restricted us so much. I thought other countries lived with this control. But then I realized it was only in North Korea,' she said.
Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Letters: Health care isn't an assembly line
I think we should be very concerned that Bill 106 proposes to link up to 25 per cent of a doctor's pay to various performance objectives. As a student, I worked on an engine assembly line. The salary was indirectly tied to the number of engines produced. That measure seems reasonable for industrial production. However, I become nervous as a patient when a doctor, in analyzing our health issues, is pressured by performance objectives. Humans are different, and symptoms and conditions are not the same for all. Our daughter graduated almost 10 years ago as a doctor specializing in anesthesiology. Quebec had no residency available for her, but she was offered one in Alberta. She preferred to work instead of waiting another year and hoping for an opening here, so off she went out west. She could come home to Quebec, but would earn less than in Alberta, be chided by politicians to work more, and have no work-life balance. Why should she consider it? Ragnar Radtke, Beaconsfield Democracy in decline under CAQ Re: ' Dubé's bill could push physicians out, doctors warn ' and ' French-language sign rules kick in June 1, and non-compliance penalties are stiff ' (The Gazette, May 28) I wonder just when it was that our governments — and the Coalition Avenir Québec in particular — decided it was their responsibility to arbitrarily impose legislation and regulations onto the backs of taxpayers they purportedly have been elected to represent and serve. Aren't our doctors and retailers significant enough stakeholders in society to be encouraged rather than punished by the province? Unfortunately, under Premier François Legault, Quebec seems to have adopted an Orwellian 'Big Brother knows best' authoritarian mode of government with its unilateral implementation of whatever the CAQ decides is in the best interest of Quebecers. As a result, democracy — famously defined by Abraham Lincoln as 'government of the people, by the people, for the people' — appears to be rapidly disappearing in Quebec. One can only hope that next year's provincial election may help remedy the situation. Eric Bender, Kirkland Grand adventure in art of listening Re: ' N.S. man embarks on 'listening tour' across Canada ' (The Gazette, May 20) As a former oncology social worker at a major teaching hospital in Montreal, I can well appreciate the value of compassionate listening and how it can bring untold benefits to the heart, mind and spirit of someone who desperately needs to be heard. The art of listening is a gift. Too often, people and patients who earnestly wish to express deeply held emotions are cut off by those being spoken to with the offer of deceptive comfort — 'don't worry, everything is going to be all right.' Retired social worker Paul Jenkinson has embarked upon a 'listening tour' across Canada. He creates a safe space and listens to those who need to speak their mind, providing a most meaningful example of catharsis. The Dalai Lama effectively sums up Jenkinson's 'grand adventure' with his quote: 'Love and kindness are not a luxury, but a source of health and happiness for others and ourselves.' Brahms E. Silver, Côte-St-Luc Submitting a letter to the editor Letters should be sent by email to letters@ We prioritize letters that respond to, or are inspired by, articles published by The Gazette. If you are responding to a specific article, let us know which one. Letters should be sent uniquely to us. The shorter they are — ideally, fewer than 200 words — the greater the chance of publication. Timing, clarity, factual accuracy and tone are all important, as is whether the writer has something new to add to the conversation. We reserve the right to edit and condense all letters. Care is taken to preserve the core of the writer's argument. Our policy is not to publish anonymous letters, those with pseudonyms or 'open letters' addressed to third parties. Letters are published with the author's full name and city or neighbourhood/borough of residence. Include a phone number and address to help verify identity; these will not be published. We will not indicate to you whether your letter will be published. If it has not been published within 10 days or so, it is not likely to be.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Same as It Ever Was
In their upside down, Alice-in-Wonderland version of reality, the left has a point when they cast George Orwell as a prophet of our times. Our world increasingly resembles the soul-crushing landscape of manipulation the English writer limned in the pages of "1984" and "Animal Farm." Powerful forces in government, media, academia, and business have transformed much of the news into propaganda. During the Biden years, for example, the left cast their push for censorship as a commitment to truth and the coercive control of everyday life as the flowering of freedom. Talk about Orwellian. Now that Donald Trump is back in office, they are once again insisting the president and his populist supports on the right are an existential threat to liberty. Blessedly, however, we still live in a relatively open society. Many of us can see through and expose their deceit. Thats why Hans Christian Anderson rivals Orwell as our most useful modern prophet. His tale, "The Emperors New Clothes," captures the daily experience of watching very serious people holding very serious conversations about total nonsense. Its why watching the news makes us channel our inner Elvis - give me a gun so I can shoot that TV. The most recent front-page example is the wall-to-wall coverage of Jake Tapper and Alex Thompsons new book, "Original Sin: President Bidens Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again." They report that hundreds of people knew that Biden was not up to running the country, and yet this scheming horde hid this secret from the legacy media. It was only after they lost the election that these conspirators decided to spill the beans. In fact, polls show millions of people knew the score on Biden well before the election. One didnt need special access, just two eyes to see the truth. Yes, it is nice to have the books detail on the consternation about Bidens infirmities, but that just confirms rather than expands our knowledge. Even as it pretends to reveal the truth, "Original Sin" is another exercise in gaslighting, because it tries to make the starting point of the story - the effort to hide Bidens incapacity - its endpoint. The pressing issue, however, is not the cover-up, but the cover-up of the cover-up. Which unelected officials were running the government in Bidens name? How did they do it? How did they justify it? Turning the old Watergate question around: What did the president not know and when did he not know it? And, why did so many of the nations most influential news outlets participate in this charade? How was Bidens health discussed in top newsrooms? Who made the decision to dismiss these consequential concerns? Answering those questions and naming names is the urgent task for media outlets who have already lost the trust of much of the country because of their partisan coverage. Instead of experiencing a come-to-Jesus moment, however, the legacy media is likely to use its coverage of the book to bury the Biden years under the claim that the key questions have now been asked and answered. It will use the "lessons" it learned as a reason to pound Trump even harder, including questioning his mental fitness. If Democrats and their media stenographers have learned anything, it is that they will almost certainly get away with it. The Biden cover-up is part of a decades-long pattern in which they have stridently misled the American people - against all evidence - about the biggest issues of the day. The short list includes advancing the clearly bogus claims that Trump conspired with Vladimir Putin to steal the 2016 election; attacking those who made the obvious connection between the origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology; delegitimizing reports about the material on Hunter Bidens laptop detailing the Biden familys influence-peddling schemes; and the truly Orwellian effort to disparage honest challenges of official narratives as "misinformation" and "disinformation." Going back nearly two decades, there was the 2006 Duke lacrosse case, in which local and national media outlets echoed a local Democrat district attorneys assertion that a bunch of rich preppies had raped a poor black stripper. There was never any real evidence for this heinous crime, apart from the troubled womans claims. Yet the young men were convicted in the press simply because of their alleged privilege. A few years after this shameful episode, the media were back it, advancing false narratives about the deaths of Trayvon Martin in 2012 and Michael Brown in 2014 to allege a war on blacks - setting the stage for the racist convulsions of the Black Lives Matters movement and DEI programs. None of these missteps resulted in soul-searching - though a few did result in Pulitzer Prizes. The next few years promise more of the same: the Orwellian twisting of facts that will bombard us with dangerous lies. As the aptly named group "Talking Heads" once sang: Same as it ever was, same as it ever was. Its enough to make you go full Elvis. J. Peder Zane is an editor for RealClearInvestigations and a columnist for RealClearPolitics. Follow him on X @jpederzane.
