Daily NK recently obtained smartphone apps operated by North Korean mobile carriers. North Korean citizens can subscribe to mobile services online through these apps, with the notable requirement of submitting facial recognition data and personal information during registration.
Kangsong Mobile Communications 2.0
“Kangsong Mobile Communications 2.0” is an app provided by Kangsong, one of North Korea’s mobile carriers, for their telecommunications services. When launched, the app displays menus such as “Announcements” and “Mobile Services.” The app is believed to have been released in 2021.
According to the app’s help section, Kangsong Mobile Communications 2.0 is described as “a program that enables easy access to mobile telecommunications services via mobile phones.” It also states that “customers subscribed to the Kangsong network can receive various services regardless of location.”
Services offered include:
- Checking phone number status
- Reporting lost phones
- Requesting name changes
- Balance checking
- Fund transfers
- Access to the Rodong Sinmun newspaper
- Data communication services
- Missed call notifications
- Ring-back tone services
- Voice mail
- Message exchange
A notable feature is the requirement to register facial information for mobile service subscription. The app’s help section specifically notes that “the face must be completely visible in the frame when taking the photo” and warns that “photos taken while wearing masks or glasses will not be accepted.”
In addition to facial information, the app requires:
- User registration info (in English and numbers)
- Registration password (8+ characters combining English and numbers)
- Personal information (name, gender, citizen ID number, birth date, job position, home address). After entering an authentication code, registration is complete.
Another noteworthy aspect is that the app provides foreign currency exchange rate information. The help section explains that it “shows the daily foreign currency exchange rates” and “automatically updates whenever rates change for user convenience.”
However, it’s unclear how frequently the exchange rates are updated or whether they reflect official or market rates.
The app also features a Q&A board for users. According to the help section, “customers using the Kangsong network can access information about common issues. Users can like, dislike, or report while browsing content,” with examples showing inquiries about mobile phone usage issues.
The app also introduces several websites users can access, including:
- Pyongyang
- Arirang
- Manmulsan
- Remote Education
- Kwangmyong
- Naenara
Manmulsan and Kwangmyong are e-commerce sites.
Koryolink Mobile Communications 1.0
Koryolink, another North Korean telecommunications company, is also operating its own app called “Koryolink Mobile Communications 1.0.”
When launching this app, users first see text explaining that they can “access general information about Koryolink mobile services, multimedia browsing services, website browsing services, data communication services, and manage service subscription and cancellation,” along with the name “CHEO Technology Joint Venture Company.”
CHEO Technology Joint Venture Company is a wireless telecommunications company established in 2008 as a joint venture between Egyptian telecommunications company Orascom and North Korea’s Korea Posts and Telecommunications Co.
The app’s main screen displays not only company and product introduction menus but also various service menus including:
- Name change services
- Payment services
- Data communication services
- Lost phone reporting services
- Message-related services
- Ring-back tone services In terms of functionality, it appears similar to Koryolink 2.0.
Like Kangsong Mobile Communications 2.0, Koryolink Mobile Communications 1.0 also requires users to input personal information (name, gender, birth date, job position, home address, citizen ID number) and identifiable facial information for registration.
Notably, while the app’s help section includes information about being a “system that shows external websites connected to 3G mobile networks in real-time,” there is no mention of 4G telecommunications, which is now in commercial use.
Interestingly, the app’s help section provides specific addresses for the national network homepage (10.30.99.87) and mobile network homepage (193.10.0.10). This is because North Korea operates separate networks: the national computer network (wired, national network), 3G data communication network (wireless, 3G network), and the Mirae network (wireless, Wi-Fi network), and thus provides network-specific addresses to users.
The Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
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