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North Korea Intensifies War Against Foreign Influence
(This article first appeared on 38North) In early December 2020, a plenary meeting of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA), its highest legislative body, approved several new laws, including one called the Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Law.[1] While the text of the law was not made public outside of the North, anecdotal reports since indicate…
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Pegasus-style surveillance is everyday life in North Korea
In the last couple of days, the Pegasus spyware and its targeted use on smartphones used by journalists, politicians and activists has come to light. The software, developed by Israel’s NSO Group, is said to be able to bypass the security on Android and iOS smartphones and infect them, yielding unrestricted access to the compromised device’s email, messages, media…
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North Korea’s foreign propaganda set to play a more important role
Among the plans and promises delivered during Kim Jong Un’s report to the just-concluded 8th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) was a relatively minor reference that could spell big changes to the way North Korea tells its story overseas. “[The report] also referred to the need to frustrate the reactionary offensive of…
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New laws will target mobile comms, foreign content
North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly discussed a handful of new laws on December 4 including one on mobile communications, state media reported on Sunday. The texts of the new laws have not been published so it’s difficult to ascertain exactly what they cover, but the Korean Central News Agency gave some hints on the issues…
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We Interrupt this Propaganda…A Dynamic 24 Hours on North Korean TV
On Wednesday, North Korea’s state TV channel Korean Central Television (KCTV) took the historically unprecedented step of broadcasting through the night as the storm Typhoon Bavi (Typhoon No. 8) approached the country. This follows a Tuesday executive policy council meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea’s Central Committee where Kim Jong Un discussed the approaching…
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North Korea’s Foreign Propaganda Takes a Step Towards Modernity
One of North Korea’s most popular YouTube channels has quietly removed video documentaries that idolize the life of Kim Il Sung, the father of the modern North Korean state. The surprising move—once considered unthinkable inside the country—is the latest step in an evolving strategy that is bringing North Korea’s overseas propaganda efforts into the 21st…
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North Korean IT engineers working on artificial intelligence in China – UN report
Five IT workers from a company affiliated with North Korea’s Academy of National Defense Science began working at a Chinese construction company in 2019 on artificial intelligence products, according to the latest United Nations Panel of Experts report. The report said that three software developers and two hardware developers from “Nam Dae Cheon Trade Co.…
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Supreme People’s Assembly adopts a law on distance education
North Korea’s distance education system was one of the key topics discussed at last week’s session of the Supreme People’s Assembly with delegates passing a new law on tele-education. Details of the law haven’t yet been announced but it’s prominent inclusion as the second agenda item underlines the importance of the system that has been…
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Can Science and Technology Be a Silver Bullet for the North Korean Economy?
One of the main themes to come out of Kim Jong Un’s speech to the Workers’ Party plenary in late December is a new emphasis on science and technology. The focus isn’t a surprise. North Korea has been pursuing science and technology as a way to improve its economy for years, but now with no…
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Science and Technology Education in North Korea Enters the 21st Century
North Korea is moving ahead with a comprehensive reform of its education system that puts science and technology at its center. Plans were approved at a cabinet meeting over the weekend and follow a call by Kim Jong Un in September to improve the level of the nation’s education. At the weekend meeting, education officials…
