North Koreans are actively using around 10 kinds of software programs to circumvent government surveillance on how they use their mobile phones, Daily NK has learned.
A source in North Korea told Daily NK on Wednesday that young techies at specialist schools and R&D facilities are making money by illegally developing and commercializing specialized technology to get around government controls on smartphones.
“There are about 10 kinds of such programs,” he claimed.
He further told Daily NK that talented young people at universities like Kim Il Sung University, Kim Chaek University of Technology, Kim Jong Un National Defense University, the Institute of Natural Science, Pyongyang University of Science and Technology and Ryongsong Electrical Engineering Industrial University, and at research labs and centers under the Ministry of Electronics Industry, are driving the development and sale of the circumvention programs.
Based on the source’s account, these tech savvy young people have developed programs that let users watch illegal foreign movies or videos or listen to illegal foreign music on North Korean electronic devices. The programs are sold and distributed on USBs or external hard drives.
On domestically-produced mobile phones, North Korea installs a range of surveillance and tracking systems to block users’ access to outside information. However, people in the country appear to be increasingly using circumvention programs to defeat the government’s surveillance and tracking systems.
Currently known circumvention programs include:
- Budulgi and Chammae, which circumvent the government’s authentication system for “external” documents and videos
- Third Dimension System, which hides specific files
- Migung, which erases users’ file browsing history
However, with demand for circumvention programs rising, more kinds of programs have emerged.
The source said the new circumvention program “Garakji,” developed in May 2022, costs USD 60, not including the price of the USB or external hard drive.
“Many young people, university students, military police officers, security and police officers, party officials and researchers are seeking out circumvention programs,” he said.
“Just by buying one, your cultural life grows more diverse since you can access various videos, music, films, images, books and children’s films,” he continued, adding, “Neither the party, nor state, nor law can block the curiosity of young people, not to mention the human impulse to keep seeing things once you’ve gotten a taste.”
Wealthy people in particular can use the circumvention programs to enjoy many things, the source said.
“They don’t have to worry because even if the authorities go all scorched-earth on the circumvention programs, more programs will be developed elsewhere [to replace them],” he added.
North Korean authorities know what is going on, and are tightening their crackdowns on how people use their phones. They are checking if mobile phone owners have viewed illegal documents or media or use illegal programs by forcing them to update their operating systems and programs.
In fact, North Korea recently shortened the update cycle for smartphone applications. This measure appears aimed at blocking access to unapproved programs, while looking for details or traces of improper use.
“Smartphones used to require new systems once every one to three years, new versions of each program around once a year, and new versions of the most popular programs or mandatory inspection programs once a year,” said the source. “But recently, the update schedule was shortened to once every six months.”
The source explained that the mandatory inspection programs include a “browsing history” program that tracks which smartphone apps and documents have been used, as well as an antivirus program. Popular programs include apps related to games and movies.
Daily NK recently reported that North Korea ordered all mobile phone users and registered computer owners to update the software on their devices.
