Category: Digital Surveillance

  • Digital Surveillance in North Korea: Moving Toward a Digital Panopticon State

    Digital Surveillance in North Korea: Moving Toward a Digital Panopticon State

    Digital technology is progressively entering into different facets of life in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) and reshaping the landscape of its society, especially in Pyongyang. Smartphones can now facilitate electronic payments; set-top boxes offer additional TV and streaming options; cameras keep watch on traffic in major cities; and electronic…

  • North Korea’s Koryolink: Built for Surveillance and Control

    North Korea’s Koryolink: Built for Surveillance and Control

    Eavesdropping and network security were the top concerns of the North Korean government in the months before Koryolink, the country’s current mobile network service, was launched in December 2008, according to minutes of a May 28, 2008 meeting in Kuala Lumpur between engineers from the Korea Posts and Telecommunications Co. (KPTC) and Orascom Telecom which…