Mobile Phones in North Korea — A World of Surveillance and Control
Kim Yumi speaking about mobile phone usage in North Korea (Photo: Screenshot from @kimyumiTV, YouTube)
Today we’d like to share a video by Kim Yumi, a North Korean defector and speaker at the 2025 Oslo Freedom Forum, titled “North Korea’s Mobile Phones: The Reality of Communication Under Surveillance and Control.”
In the video, Kim draws on her own experiences to reveal what mobile phone use really looks like inside North Korea today. Below, we’ve included the English translation.
She explains that while North Korean mobile phones may look like the smartphones we’re used to, in reality they come with strict surveillance systems, complete isolation from the outside world, and a harsh environment where freedom of expression simply doesn’t exist.
Kim, who was born in Haeju, Hwanghae Province, escaped to South Korea with her family of eight in May 2023. She now lives in Seoul and works to raise global awareness about North Korea’s dire human rights situation.
You can watch more of Kim’s videos about life in North Korea @kimyumitv.
The following has been lightly edited for clarity.
Hello, everyone. Today, I’d like to share with you some insights on the current state of mobile phone usage in North Korea. A few days ago, I was interviewed by a research team regarding this topic, and I want to share that conversation with you.
If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments, and I will answer honestly based on my experiences.
Q: I heard you recently left North Korea. How widespread is mobile phone use these days?
A: From my hometown Haeju, compared to a few years ago, noticeably more people in neighborhoods have mobile phones. According to a recent study, as of 2023, 40 to 50 percent of the entire North Korean population uses mobile phones.
Especially in Pyongyang, the penetration rate is as high as 72%. The rates are lower in the provinces—about 43% in border regions and 35% in non-border areas. Since Pyongyang is home to many elites and was the first place where mobile phone service was introduced, power and wealth concentrate there, making it easier to obtain phones. That said, not everyone in Pyongyang is wealthy—income inequality is widening and many remain poor. Still, conditions are generally better than in the provinces, so the higher phone penetration is real. Pyongyang is the capital, after all. When benefits or supplies are distributed, residents of Pyongyang receive them before those in the provinces. So it’s true that people in Pyongyang get relatively more advantages.
Q: In South Korea, there are carriers like KT, SK, and LG U+. Does North Korea have similar companies?
A: Yes, it does. The main ones are Koryolink, Kangsong Network, and Byol. Most phones and telecom equipment are Chinese-made. In major cities like Pyongyang, the network offers 4G-level service, compared to 3G-level service in the provinces. Mobile phone service was first introduced in North Korea in 2002 through a joint venture with a Thai company using GSM technology. It was later suspended but restarted in 2008 via Koryolink. Later, competing companies like Kangsong and Byol emerged to help earn foreign currency.
These days, smartphones like Arirang, Pyongyang 243, and Blue Sky are in use. In appearance, they look very similar to Samsung or LG phones—so similar that it’s hard to tell them apart.
However, their functions are completely different. North Korean phones cannot access the internet or make international calls. They only allow domestic calls, texting, photo sharing, and government-approved content. Users can take photos and videos, but that’s about it.
Q: Can North Koreans watch outside content on their phones?
A: It’s not easy. North Korean phones are equipped with strict censorship features. All user activity is recorded, and unauthorized files are automatically deleted. For example, if someone watched outside content, they have to connect their phone to a computer to delete those file traces entirely. Recently, a crackdown unit called Group 8.2 was established to oversee and enforce these controls. If an inspection team stops you on the street and asks to see your phone, you must comply. If any traces of outside content are found, your phone will be confiscated immediately. If South Korean dramas, music, or other Korean content are discovered, you could be punished under the Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Law, and in severe cases, even face public execution.
Even domestic content can cause trouble. For example, if you record your children playing at home and a portrait of the Kim family appears in the video, your phone will be confiscated, and you’ll be forced to stand on a public criticism stage, facing great pressure and financial hardship. To avoid worse consequences, people must comply with inspectors’ demands, which often means paying bribes. Without bribes, it’s very difficult to get out of these situations in North Korea.
Q: I’ve heard that mobile phones are a symbol of wealth in North Korea. Is that true?
A: Yes, it was true. Until the mid-2010s, owning a phone was strongly associated with being wealthy. If someone carried a phone on their belt, people assumed they had money. But now, the situation has changed. Phones are no longer just a status symbol; they have become a daily necessity. Especially for merchants, phones are essential tools. They use them to coordinate deals in real time, check prices, and confirm inventory. In the past, without phones, they had to travel back and forth in person. Now, business is much easier.
Q: Mobile phones and information sharing often play a key role in transitioning from authoritarianism to democracy. Could this happen in North Korea?
A: I think it’s quite possible. Of course, the North Korean government allows mobile phone service mainly to maintain its power—earning foreign currency, monitoring citizens, and maximizing control. But it can also have unintended consequences. For instance, when a 23-story apartment collapsed in Pyongyang in 2014, the government would normally have hidden it. But the news quickly spread through mobile phones, leaving the government unable to cover it up. Similarly, North Korea only recently admitted to sending soldiers to the Russia–Ukraine war. I believe this was because the news had already circulated within the country, making it impossible to deny the troop deployment.
Q: So, mobile phones could become more than just communication tools—they could act as catalysts for social change in North Korea?
A: Exactly. Right now, phones are mainly a way to communicate. But over time, they could become an important medium that changes people’s perceptions and behaviors. When information spreads, people’s thinking changes, and when thinking changes, behavior changes. That’s why outside information is so important. I sincerely hope the day will come when North Koreans can freely make international calls and access the internet.
Kim Yumi, a North Korean defector, was born and raised in Haeju, South Hwanghae Province, a coastal military area. Growing up near a naval base, she was able to secretly watch South Korean news programs and TV shows, thereby uncovering the vibrant, democratic society of South Korea. Yumi and her husband made the brave decision to escape North Korea and seek a better future. Now in Seoul, she is actively involved in raising awareness about the realities of life in North Korea, especially on her YouTube channel, “@KimYumiTV.”
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