{"id":61593,"date":"2024-10-31T10:15:09","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T01:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/?p=61593"},"modified":"2026-04-05T15:39:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T06:39:56","slug":"exclusive-rare-look-north-korea-official-smartphone-apps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/exclusive-rare-look-north-korea-official-smartphone-apps\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive: A rare look at North Korea&#8217;s official smartphone apps"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">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.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\"><strong>Kangsong Mobile Communications 2.0<\/strong><\/h4>\n<figure id=\"attachment_61594\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61594\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-61594 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung-1.jpg\" alt=\"apps\" width=\"741\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung-1.jpg 741w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung-1-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung-1-696x464.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-61594\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Upon signing up, Kangsong Mobile Communications 2.0 requires users to register their faces for facial recognition. (Daily NK)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">&#8220;Kangsong Mobile Communications 2.0&#8221; is an app provided by Kangsong, one of North Korea&#8217;s mobile carriers, for their telecommunications services. When launched, the app displays menus such as &#8220;Announcements&#8221; and &#8220;Mobile Services.&#8221; The app is believed to have been released in 2021.<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">According to the app&#8217;s help section, Kangsong Mobile Communications 2.0 is described as &#8220;a program that enables easy access to mobile telecommunications services via mobile phones.&#8221; It also states that &#8220;customers subscribed to the Kangsong network can receive various services regardless of location.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">Services offered include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"-mt-1 list-disc space-y-2 pl-8\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Checking phone number status<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Reporting lost phones<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Requesting name changes<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Balance checking<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Fund transfers<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Access to the Rodong Sinmun newspaper<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Data communication services<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Missed call notifications<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Ring-back tone services<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Voice mail<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Message exchange<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">A notable feature is the requirement to register facial information for mobile service subscription. The app&#8217;s help section specifically notes that &#8220;the face must be completely visible in the frame when taking the photo&#8221; and warns that &#8220;photos taken while wearing masks or glasses will not be accepted.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">In addition to facial information, the app requires:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"-mt-1 list-disc space-y-2 pl-8\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">User registration info (in English and numbers)<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Registration password (8+ characters combining English and numbers)<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Personal information (name, gender, citizen ID number, birth date, job position, home address). After entering an authentication code, registration is complete.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_61595\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61595\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61595\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung_2-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"741\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung_2-1.jpg 741w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung_2-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung_2-1-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung_2-1-696x464.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-61595\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The app provides users with changes in currency rates in real-time, and even operates a Q&amp;A section. (Daily NK)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">Another noteworthy aspect is that the app provides foreign currency exchange rate information. The help section explains that it &#8220;shows the daily foreign currency exchange rates&#8221; and &#8220;automatically updates whenever rates change for user convenience.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">However, it&#8217;s unclear how frequently the exchange rates are updated or whether they reflect official or market rates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">The app also features a Q&amp;A board for users. According to the help section, &#8220;customers using the Kangsong network can access information about common issues. Users can like, dislike, or report while browsing content,&#8221; with examples showing inquiries about mobile phone usage issues.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_61596\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61596\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-61596 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung_3-1.jpg\" alt=\"apps\" width=\"741\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung_3-1.jpg 741w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung_3-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung_3-1-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung_3-1-696x464.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-61596\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The app provides links to external websites. (Daily NK)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">The app also introduces several websites users can access, including:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"-mt-1 list-disc space-y-2 pl-8\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Pyongyang<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Arirang<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Manmulsan<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Remote Education<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Kwangmyong<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Naenara<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Manmulsan and Kwangmyong are e-commerce sites.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\"><strong>Koryolink Mobile Communications 1.0<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">Koryolink, another North Korean telecommunications company, is also operating its own app called &#8220;Koryolink Mobile Communications 1.0.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">When launching this app, users first see text explaining that they can &#8220;access general information about Koryolink mobile services, multimedia browsing services, website browsing services, data communication services, and manage service subscription and cancellation,&#8221; along with the name &#8220;CHEO Technology Joint Venture Company.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">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&#8217;s Korea Posts and Telecommunications Co.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_61597\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61597\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61597\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_koryo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"741\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_koryo-1.jpg 741w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_koryo-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_koryo-1-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_koryo-1-696x464.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-61597\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The app requires users to input their personal information and register their faces for facial recognition. (Daily NK)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">The app&#8217;s main screen displays not only company and product introduction menus but also various service menus including:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"-mt-1 list-disc space-y-2 pl-8\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Name change services<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Payment services<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Data communication services<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Lost phone reporting services<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Message-related services<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Ring-back tone services In terms of functionality, it appears similar to Koryolink 2.0.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">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.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_61598\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61598\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-61598 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_koryo_2-1.jpg\" alt=\"apps\" width=\"741\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_koryo_2-1.jpg 741w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_koryo_2-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_koryo_2-1-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_koryo_2-1-696x464.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-61598\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The app provides explanations about how to use its various features. (Daily NK)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">Notably, while the app&#8217;s help section includes information about being a &#8220;system that shows external websites connected to 3G mobile networks in real-time,&#8221; there is no mention of 4G telecommunications, which is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/n-korea-begins-accepting-subscribers-to-4g-cellular-network\/\">now<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.38north.org\/articles\/affiliates\/north-korea-tech-%eb%85%b8%ec%8a%a4%ec%bd%94%eb%a6%ac%ec%95%84%ed%85%8c%ed%81%ac\/29819\/\">commercial use<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\">Interestingly, the app&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\"><em>Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/20241029-1\/\"><em>Read in Korean<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 &#8220;Kangsong Mobile Communications 2.0&#8221; is an app provided by Kangsong, one of North [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":61594,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wikipediapreview_detectlinks":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,650],"tags":[714,948,1639],"class_list":["post-61593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-technology","tag-economy","tag-mobile-phones","tag-tech"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Exclusive: A rare look at North Korea&#039;s official smartphone apps - North Korea News \u2014 Daily NK | Latest DPRK Updates 2026<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Daily NK recently obtained mobile carrier smartphone apps, which allow North Koreans to subscribe to mobile services.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/exclusive-rare-look-north-korea-official-smartphone-apps\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Exclusive: A rare look at North Korea&#039;s official smartphone apps\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Daily NK recently obtained mobile carrier smartphone apps, which allow North Koreans to subscribe to mobile services.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/exclusive-rare-look-north-korea-official-smartphone-apps\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"North Korea News \u2014 Daily NK | Latest DPRK Updates 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-10-31T01:15:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-05T06:39:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20241022_mdh_kangsung-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"741\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"494\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mun Dong Hui\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mun Dong Hui\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/exclusive-rare-look-north-korea-official-smartphone-apps\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/exclusive-rare-look-north-korea-official-smartphone-apps\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mun Dong Hui\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f849d1af9f17b1e55ff69fe16696b107\"},\"headline\":\"Exclusive: A rare look at North Korea&#8217;s official smartphone apps\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-31T01:15:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-05T06:39:56+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/exclusive-rare-look-north-korea-official-smartphone-apps\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":796,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/exclusive-rare-look-north-korea-official-smartphone-apps\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/20241022_mdh_kangsung-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"economy\",\"mobile phones\",\"tech\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"Technology\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/exclusive-rare-look-north-korea-official-smartphone-apps\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/exclusive-rare-look-north-korea-official-smartphone-apps\\\/\",\"name\":\"Exclusive: A rare look at North Korea's official smartphone apps - 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