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Red Star 3.0 Desktop – The install
The operating system is being offered as a 2.6 gigabyte ISO file, which means it will look like a CD or DVD install disc to most modern operating systems. The operating system can be directly installed from the ISO file and requires about 10 gigabytes of disc space. I installed mine inside a Virtual Machine…
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Red Star 3.0 Desktop finally becomes public
The latest version of North Korea’s home-grown desktop operating system, Red Star Linux 3.0, was uploaded to BitTorrent on Monday. We first got a look at the operating system almost a year ago when screenshots were posted online. A link to a download file was included in a message on Pastebin that was uploaded by someone who goes…
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UK Foreign Office warns on taking digital media to North Korea
Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office is warning visitors to North Korea that they need to “carefully consider” any recorded video that they attempt to take into the country. The warning came in an update to the FCO’s travel advice for North Korea that was made on Tuesday. “Consider carefully any films or television programmes that…
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PUST turns out first undergraduates
The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology turned out its first round of undergraduates last week, marking a significant achievement for North Korea’s first privately-funded university. The 100 students received their Bachelors degrees in a ceremony in Pyongyang that was attended by the co-presidents of the university and members of the local diplomatic community. After graduation,…
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SiliVaccine – North Korea’s anti-virus scanner
In a country where most computers aren’t connected to the Internet, an anti-virus scanner might not seem like much of a necessity. But since 2002, programmers in the country have been working on SiliVaccine, a home grown anti-virus application that is now in its fourth version. I was recently sent a current version that runs…
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North Korea proposes expanding work with Russian IT companies
A North Korean state IT company has approached Russia’s Information and Computer Technologies Industry Association (APKIT) proposing a greater working relationship with Russian IT companies. The country apparently wants to win business from Russian companies and the Pyongyang Kwangmyong IT Corp. held talks with APKIT in July and August, according to the APKIT. As part of those…
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Taedonggang TV Factory
The current issue of Foreign Trade has a profile of Taedonggang TV factory, which sits on the outskirts of Pyongyang and makes a number of TV sets carrying several North Korean brand names, according to the magazine. “The factory has several workshops for magnetic substances, metal processing, plating of printed circuit, moulding and coiling and…
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Another look at the Spring Trade Fair
When he wasn’t taking stunning panorama photographs around Pyongyang, Singapore-based photographer Aram Pan had time to visit this year’s Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair (???????????). The fair was twice as big this year as it had been in 2013 according to state media, and it’s easy to see why when you watch a 3-minute video shot by Pan. The…
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IBM, HP find North Korean gold in their supply chains
Almost 70 companies publicly traded on U.S. stock markets have found North Korean gold in their manufacturing supply chains. Among the more prominent names are electronics companies IBM, HP, Garmin, Philips and Seagate, U.S. kitchenware retailer Willams Sonoma. The discoveries were disclosed in reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that are the result of a new…
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North Korea digital TV imports see big jump
Imports of digital TV sets to North Korea are sharply higher in the first few months of this year compared to last year, according to Yonhap News. Citing data from the Korea International Trade Association, Yonhap said China shipped just under $18 million worth of digital TVs to North Korea in the first four months of…
