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Economic Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Every text watched, every word changed: Inside Kim Jong Un's phone surveillance network
A smuggled North Korean smartphone has exposed how tightly the regime monitors and censors its citizens. According to a BBC report, the device blocks South Korean language, autocorrects phrases like 'Oppa' to 'Comrade,' and secretly takes screenshots every five minutes. These images are stored in hidden folders only accessible to state authorities. Radios and phones are sealed against modification, with any exposure to foreign culture seen as a crime. Testimonies from defectors show increasing repression under Kim Jong Un's leadership. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Autocorrect with an agenda Silent surveillance: Screenshots every five minutes Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads No room for modifications Crackdown intensifies under Kim Jong Un A mobile phone smuggled out of North Korea has revealed alarming new details about the country's surveillance tactics. According to a BBC investigation, smartphones in the country are programmed to automatically censor content, block South Korean language, and spy on their users in real time—without their knowledge. The device, once outside the regime's control, provides a rare look into how far Pyongyang goes to control information and suppress foreign censorship system is built directly into North Korean smartphones. The phone examined by the BBC showed that common South Korean terms are automatically corrected to fit the regime's ideology. For instance, typing 'South Korea' is immediately changed to 'Puppet State'—a phrase the state uses to characterise Seoul as an American-controlled example is the word 'Oppa', widely used in South Korea to refer to older male friends or boyfriends. On a North Korean phone, the word is forcibly replaced with 'Comrade'. A message on the keyboard warns: 'This word can only be used to refer to siblings.'Surveillance goes beyond word filters. The phone automatically captures a screenshot every five minutes. These images are stored in a hidden folder not visible or accessible to users. Only state officials can retrieve them, allowing continuous monitoring of a user's activities—apps opened, messages typed, and what content is covert logging system enables authorities to build a detailed digital profile of individuals without their Korea's approach to communication technology is tightly locked down. All devices—be it radios, televisions, or smartphones—are pre-configured to receive only government-approved content. Tampering with these settings or trying to access foreign media is classified as a serious criminal are sealed to prevent hardware changes. The internet is entirely off-limits to the general population. The result is a tightly policed digital environment designed to keep citizens ideologically aligned with the to a human rights report by South Korea's Unification Ministry, the regime's censorship efforts have only grown stronger under Kim Jong Un. The report, based on testimonies from 649 defectors, details how officials routinely inspect phones for slang, contact names, or media suggesting exposure to foreign—especially South Korean—culture.K-pop and Korean dramas are entirely banned. Cultural imports from the South are seen as subversive. One case cited in the report is particularly stark: a 22-year-old man was reportedly executed in public for listening to and sharing South Korean music and government's aim is clear—complete insulation from external cultural Korea's censorship model is extreme even by authoritarian standards. By embedding surveillance and propaganda tools directly into everyday devices, the regime doesn't just limit what people see—it controls how they think and the BBC report shows, the phone is not merely a communication tool in North Korea—it is an instrument of control. Every typed word, every action, is tracked. For North Koreans, privacy does not exist.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Every text watched, every word changed: Inside Kim Jong Un's phone surveillance network
A mobile phone smuggled out of North Korea has revealed alarming new details about the country's surveillance tactics. According to a BBC investigation, smartphones in the country are programmed to automatically censor content, block South Korean language, and spy on their users in real time—without their knowledge. The device, once outside the regime's control, provides a rare look into how far Pyongyang goes to control information and suppress foreign influence. Autocorrect with an agenda The censorship system is built directly into North Korean smartphones. The phone examined by the BBC showed that common South Korean terms are automatically corrected to fit the regime's ideology. For instance, typing 'South Korea' is immediately changed to 'Puppet State'—a phrase the state uses to characterise Seoul as an American-controlled outpost. Another example is the word 'Oppa', widely used in South Korea to refer to older male friends or boyfriends. On a North Korean phone, the word is forcibly replaced with 'Comrade'. A message on the keyboard warns: 'This word can only be used to refer to siblings.' Silent surveillance: Screenshots every five minutes Surveillance goes beyond word filters. The phone automatically captures a screenshot every five minutes. These images are stored in a hidden folder not visible or accessible to users. Only state officials can retrieve them, allowing continuous monitoring of a user's activities—apps opened, messages typed, and what content is consumed. This covert logging system enables authorities to build a detailed digital profile of individuals without their consent. Live Events No room for modifications North Korea's approach to communication technology is tightly locked down. All devices—be it radios, televisions, or smartphones—are pre-configured to receive only government-approved content. Tampering with these settings or trying to access foreign media is classified as a serious criminal offence. Phones are sealed to prevent hardware changes. The internet is entirely off-limits to the general population. The result is a tightly policed digital environment designed to keep citizens ideologically aligned with the regime. Crackdown intensifies under Kim Jong Un According to a human rights report by South Korea's Unification Ministry, the regime's censorship efforts have only grown stronger under Kim Jong Un. The report, based on testimonies from 649 defectors, details how officials routinely inspect phones for slang, contact names, or media suggesting exposure to foreign—especially South Korean—culture. K-pop and Korean dramas are entirely banned. Cultural imports from the South are seen as subversive. One case cited in the report is particularly stark: a 22-year-old man was reportedly executed in public for listening to and sharing South Korean music and films. The government's aim is clear—complete insulation from external cultural influences. North Korea's censorship model is extreme even by authoritarian standards. By embedding surveillance and propaganda tools directly into everyday devices, the regime doesn't just limit what people see—it controls how they think and behave. As the BBC report shows, the phone is not merely a communication tool in North Korea—it is an instrument of control. Every typed word, every action, is tracked. For North Koreans, privacy does not exist.
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
From 'oppa' to comrade: North Korea's phones auto-correct to fit party line
Everything South Korean is banned in Kim Jong Un's North Korea, a country that enforces strict censorship across all forms of media to shield its citizens from the realities of the outside world. A mobile phone smuggled out of the country has now revealed fresh insights into how one of the world's most extreme censorship regimes surveillance and censorship methods range from autocorrection of certain South Korean words to routine data sharing with authorities, all while denying users access to the internet, according to a BBC instance, the word 'Oppa', which is widely used in South Korean popular culture to refer to boyfriends (though it literally means older brother), is automatically corrected to 'Comrade' on North Korean smartphones. Additionally, a warning displayed just below the keyboard further instructs users that 'this word can only be used to refer to siblings'. Oppa autocorrected to Comrade. (Photo: BBC) Similarly, if someone tries to type 'South Korea,' the phone automatically changes it to 'Puppet State', a term North Korean authorities use to describe the South, claiming it is under US phone takes screenshots every five minutes and stores them in a specific folder that is inaccessible to users. Only authorities have access to this folder, allowing them to monitor user activity in detail. Phone takes screenshots every five minutes. (Photo: BBC) advertisementFrom radios to smartphones, communication devices in North Korea are pre-configured to receive only state propaganda and are sealed to prevent tampering. Altering these devices to access external content is considered a serious criminal offence. For ordinary citizens, access to the global internet is virtually to a recent report that included testimonies from 649 North Korean defectors, the regime under Kim Jong Un has intensified its crackdown on 'Western influence' and the flow of outside information. Officials are said to routinely inspect mobile phones for contact names, language, and slang that suggest exposure to South Korean has also banned K-pop and K-dramas, South Korean music and television dramas that have gained global popularity, as part of efforts to curb foreign cultural influence.A human rights report by South Korea's Unification Ministry earlier revealed that North Korean authorities publicly executed a 22-year-old man for listening to and sharing K-pop music and films, underscoring Pyongyang's brutal crackdown on foreign cultural Watch
NBC News
09-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
North Korea says leader Kim supervised missile tests simulating nuclear strikes against rivals
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised tests of short-range ballistic missile systems that simulated nuclear counterstrikes against U.S. and South Korean forces, state media said Friday, as the North continued to blame its rivals for escalating tensions through their joint military exercises. The report came a day after South Korea's military detected multiple launches from North Korea's eastern coast and assessed that the tests could also be related to the country's weapons exports to Russia during its war in Ukraine. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said Thursday's tests involved a mobile ballistic missile system apparently modeled after Russia's Iskander, as well as 600-millimeter multiple rocket launchers that South Korean officials classify as ballistic due to their self-propulsion and guided flight. Both are part of a growing lineup of weapons systems that the North says could be armed with 'tactical' nuclear weapons for battlefield use. KCNA said the tests were intended to train military units operating missile and rocket systems to more effectively execute attacks under the North's nuclear weapons control system and ensure a swift response to a nuclear crisis. The agency criticized the United States and its 'vassal states' for expanding joint military exercises on and around the Korean Peninsula, which the North claims are preparations for nuclear war, and said Thursday's launches demonstrated the 'rapid counteraction posture' of its forces. Kim stressed the need to strengthen the role of his nuclear forces in both deterring and fighting war, and called for continued efforts to improve combat readiness and precision strike capabilities, KCNA said. Kim Inae, spokesperson for South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, described the latest North Korean launches as a 'clear act of provocation' that violates U.N. Security Council resolutions and poses a serious threat to peace and stability in the region. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said multiple missiles of various types were launched from the area around the eastern port city of Wonsan on Thursday from about 8:10 to 9:20 a.m. (7:10 to 8:20 p.m. Wednesday ET), with the farthest traveling about 500 miles. Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs, said in a briefing that the North Korean launches were possibly intended to test the performance of weapons it plans to export, as the country continues to send military equipment and troops to fuel Russia's warfighting against Ukraine. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters that none of the North Korean missiles reached Japan's exclusive economic zone and there was no damage to vessels or aircraft in the area. It was the North's first known ballistic activity since March 10, when it fired several ballistic missiles hours after U.S. and South Korean troops began an annual combined military exercise, and the country's sixth launch event of the year. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated in recent months as North Korean leader Kim continues to accelerate the development of his nuclear and missile programs and supply weapons and troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine. Thursday's launch came a day after North Korean state media said Kim urged munition workers to increase the production of artillery shells amid his deepening alignment with Moscow.
South Wales Guardian
09-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
North Korea says Kim Jong Un supervised missile tests
The report came a day after South Korea's military detected multiple launches from North Korea's eastern coast and assessed the tests could be related to the country's weapons exports to Russia during its war in Ukraine. The North has continued to blame its rivals for escalating tensions through their joint military exercises. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Thursday's tests involved a mobile ballistic missile system modelled after Russia's Iskander, as well as 600-millimetre multiple rocket launchers which South Korean officials classify as ballistic due to their self-propulsion and guided flight. Both are part of a growing line-up of weapons systems the North says could be armed with 'tactical' nuclear weapons for battlefield use. KCNA said the tests were intended to train military units operating missile and rocket systems to more effectively execute attacks under the North's nuclear weapons control system and ensure a swift response to a nuclear crisis. The agency criticised the US and its 'vassal states' for expanding joint military exercises on and around the Korean Peninsula, which the North claims are preparations for nuclear war, and said Thursday's launches demonstrated the 'rapid counteraction posture' of its forces. Mr Kim stressed the need to strengthen the role of his nuclear forces in both deterring and fighting war and called for continued efforts to improve combat readiness and precision strike capabilities, KCNA said. Kim Inae, spokesperson for South Korea's Unification Ministry which handles inter-Korean affairs, described the latest launches as a 'clear act of provocation' in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a serious threat to peace and stability in the region. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said multiple missiles of various types were launched from the area around the eastern port city of Wonsan on Thursday, with the farthest travelling about 497 miles. Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs, said in a briefing the North Korean launches were possibly intended to test the performance of weapons it plans to export, as the country continues to send military equipment and troops to fuel Russia's warfighting against Ukraine. Japanese defence minister Gen Nakatani told reporters that none of the North Korean missiles reached Japan's exclusive economic zone and there was no damage to vessels or aircraft in the area. It was the North's first known ballistic activity since March 10, when it fired several ballistic missiles hours after US and South Korean troops began an annual combined military exercise, and the country's sixth launch event of the year. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated in recent months as the North Korean leader continues to accelerate the development of his nuclear and missile programme and supply weapons and troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine. Thursday's launch came a day after North Korean state media said Mr Kim urged munition workers to boost the production of artillery shells amid his deepening alignment with Moscow.
