With competition in the smartphone space, North Korean enterprises have started branching off into related areas such as smartwatches. One of the first to do so was Sujongchon Technology Exchange Company (수정천기술교류사), which launched the Sujongchon 5010.
The smartwatch debuted around December 2024 and was on display at the Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair in May 2025. An image carried by Korean Central Television shows an illustration of the watch at the fair.
Japan’s Chosun Sinbo newspaper was also at the fair and reported on the watch. It said it is the first smartwatch in the country that can accept a SIM card, so it can be used directly as a phone rather than paired with a smartphone. Its features include phone calls, text messages, a step counter and a music player, the report said.
There also appears to be a real-time tracking system, and it was suggested that parents could use it as a way to track their children. This is an interesting claim as such a system would require GPS or a similar satellite location service to be accurate, however most North Korean phones do not have GPS enabled.
The original manufacturer of the smartwatch is likely a Chinese electronics company, but its identity is difficult to determine at this time.
Sujongchon Technology Exchange Company was formed in 2010 and initially sold televisions, but then expanded to set-top boxes and mobile phones, according to the newspaper. It still sells TVs and set-top boxes, as can be seen in the image above from the trade fair.
It sells TVs under the 수정천 (Sujong) and 들국화 (Deulgughwa) brand names and has at least one smartphone called the Sujongchon 3010, which appears similar to the Huawei Nova 10 phone.
Beyond the recent smartwatch coverage, Sujongchon Technology Exchange doesn’t have a high profile in North Korean media. It was shown on Korean Central Television in 2016 when it was featured showing off PC software at the National Exhibition of IT Successes. Around 2018, the company appears to have started producing Android games and has several currently on the market.