Daily NK has recently learned of the existence of a private network in North Korea called the “Daeyang network.”
The Daeyang network is an “internal modem system that enables specific agencies or registered units and individuals to access [the network] and download or read material,” a source in North Korea told Daily NK on Tuesday.
“It’s a separate system from Mirae, which is an indoor and outdoor wireless internet service network,” he said.
According to the source, the information technology department of the State Affairs Commission handled Daeyang’s development, while the Daeyang technical operations department of the Pyongyang Information Technology Bureau of the Ministry of Information Industry runs its day-to-day operations.
The Mirae wireless network, for its part, grants access to users using a specific subscription application. Daeyang, too, appears to grant access through special subscription procedures and verification methods.
The source told Daily NK that to access the Daeyang network, one needs to buy and register a SIM card before verifying their ID. Every time somebody enters the network, they need to enter the password they created to verify their identity.
“It differs from the existing state intranet in that it has restricted boundaries and range, allowing users to access specific data from specific regions,” he said.
This means users can access Daeyang only by going through several verification procedures, including the inputting of personal information and registering of SIM cards. This suggests that the North Korean authorities are very carefully verifying the identities of its users.
The source said institutional access is granted to verified workplaces that have been given permission. Individuals in positions of responsibility can also access the network.
“Some people are even granted one-time verification to the network,” he said.
He also explained that users can access various forms of high capacity data on the Daeyang network.
The network has registered pages with academic papers, essays, lecture materials and photos from research labs and centers attached to universities in Pyongyang, sites to access the Rodong Sinmun and movies (through a service called “Life’s Friend”), and pages with foreign comic books and recently-released films.
“The network enables the storage and browsing of a sea of materials,” the source said, adding that groups and organizations usually download materials, while individuals use the “Life’s Friend” page to purchase films.
However, ordinary people reportedly make little use of the Daeyang network because many places still provide little or no access to it.
“It’s not easy to access the network in many of Pyongyang’s districts,” the source said. “The only place in the city it is easy to access is around Jung District, where the base station of the Daeyang technical operations department of the Pyongyang Information Technology Bureau is located.”
However, the source said the authorities plan to expand service, with more base stations being constructed primarily in large cities so people living in or around Pyongyang can use the network.
However, given that intranet infrastructure is already in place for North Korea’s existing state network, it remains unclear why there would be a need for additional equipment to support the Daeyang network.
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