North Korean authorities caught a university student in Hamhung, South Hamgyong province, this July for using illicit software that opens access to unauthorized foreign electronic materials. Demand for outside information is growing beyond simple entertainment, driven by North Koreans seeking research and technical knowledge unavailable through state channels.
The software, known as the Ryongaksan Program (named for Ryongaksan, a mountain in Pyongyang), has spread rapidly across North Korea in 2026. Authorities have launched an investigation into the program’s sellers and distribution network.
A Daily NK source in South Hamgyong province said Monday that judicial authorities caught the 21-year-old student in mid-July. He had installed the Ryongaksan Program on his mobile phone in Hamhung. The investigation found he bought the program in Pyongyang for $30. Authorities are now tracking down the seller and the distribution route, the source said.
Judicial authorities confiscated the student’s phone. They also plan to seize funds held in the phone’s e-wallet app, on the grounds that the money was used to distribute unauthorized materials, according to the source.
How the Ryongaksan Program works
The Ryongaksan Program lets users search and view external electronic materials stored within it, even while offline, the source said. North Korean IT technicians are believed to have modified similar overseas programs to fit conditions inside the country. The exact developers and the makeup of the installation files remain unconfirmed.
The program reportedly contains entertainment content alongside a large volume of foreign academic papers and technical materials. It is spreading quickly among university students, graduate students and technicians.
“It’s difficult to write academic papers or learn new technology using only materials provided by the state,” the source said. “So this program has drawn particular attention from university students, graduate students and technicians. It’s popular because it includes materials that are hard to obtain inside North Korea, such as advanced foreign construction technology and specialized agricultural data on fertilizer management for different crops.”
North Korean people generally cannot freely access the internet. Access to domestic intranets such as Gwangmyong and Mirae (North Korea’s tightly restricted, closed-loop domestic computer networks) is also strictly limited in scope and eligibility. Against this backdrop, the spread of the Ryongaksan Program reflects strong internal demand to access quality electronic materials freely, without needing a network connection.
City party threatens legal punishment
The Hamhung city party committee issued a directive on July 18 to institutions, enterprises, working organizations and neighborhood watch units. It warned that individuals who reproduce, sell or distribute state-unapproved books and electronic materials will face strong legal punishment, according to the source.
The city party defined mass reproduction or distribution of unauthorized materials as an anti-state act. It said it would hold the heads of relevant units jointly responsible if such incidents occur, the source said.
Reporting from inside North Korea
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