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Category: Apps

  • When paper beats the app

    Martyn Williams

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    When paper beats the app

    Daily NK has an interesting story from one of its sources inside North Korea about residents supposedly preferring the paper copy of the Rodong Sinmun newspaper to the app. The Rodong Sinmun is the daily newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea and North Korea’s newspaper of record. The Seoul-based publication reports: “North Korea’s flagship…

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  • The logistics of funding North Korean e-wallets 

    Martyn Williams

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    The logistics of funding North Korean e-wallets 

    Smartphone-based e-payment systems appear to be growing quickly in Pyongyang. There are several competing platforms and recent accounts from visitors to the capital suggest the QR code-based platforms are widely used and accepted, from department stores down to street vendors. Information about the spread of e-payment platforms outside of the capital is much more limited, but data obtained by NK TechLab indicates a…

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  • North Korea’s first multi-channel IPTV service apparently launched

    Martyn Williams

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    North Korea’s first multi-channel IPTV service apparently launched

    Manbang has launched North Korea’s first multi-channel IPTV service, offering 20 channels of live television across the country’s internal data network.

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  • Three things to read, from October 2025

    Martyn Williams

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    Three things to read, from October 2025

    This month’s reading covers North Korea’s new app-based grain voucher system, a report on cyber operations, and a detailed look at a domestically made feature phone.

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  • A Nascent Fintech Industry Appears in Pyongyang

    Martyn Williams

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    A Nascent Fintech Industry Appears in Pyongyang

    A nascent fintech sector is emerging in Pyongyang, with competing e-wallet apps enabling cashless payments, currency exchange, and ticket purchases via smartphone.

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  • North Korea’s Health App Offers Medicines on Demand

    Martyn Williams

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    North Korea’s Health App Offers Medicines on Demand

    A North Korean health ministry app lets citizens order medicines and consult doctors via smartphone — a sign of the state’s growing embrace of digital services.

  • A Close-up Look at North Korea’s Digital Map App

    Martyn Williams

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    A Close-up Look at North Korea’s Digital Map App

    Fellow Traveler is North Korea’s answer to Google Maps — a state-built app offering a directory of Pyongyang’s shops, restaurants, and landmarks.