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The Big Expansion of North Korea’s Cellular Sector
North Korea’s smartphone and cellphone market has expanded significantly in the last few years and at least 24 domestic brands now compete for market share. That’s an impressive number considering the population of around 26 million and a consumer goods sector that is not particularly commercial. The proliferation of brands, which began around 2023, points…
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A Look at North Korean Cellular Charges
How much does it cost to buy a smartphone and data package in North Korea? Concrete numbers for the former are difficult to come by, but I’ve managed to find a couple of sources that suggest phone prices are not too far removed from those found in Western economies. Data packages too are not too…
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North Korean Cellular Coverage in 2026
North Korea’s cellular network has continued to grow, with 4G now available in major cities and coverage expanding into regions that previously had no mobile service.
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Madusan’s folding smartphone is identified
The folding smartphone that showed up at the recent National Exhibition of IT Successes has been identified. Commenting on a Reddit post, a user pointed to a video recorded at the IFA trade show that took place in Berlin in early September. The same phone was on display at the booth of Doogee, a Chinese…
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North Korea Gets A Folding Smartphone
A North Korean company is marketing a foldable smartphone—the first time such a phone has been seen promoted in-country. The handset was likely imported from a Chinese manufacturer and presents further evidence that North Korea’s smartphone market has been rapidly expanding since pandemic-era border restrictions were lifted. State media coverage of the annual “National Exhibition…
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North Korea’s Kangsong is operating a 4G network
North Korea’s first 4G cellular service, which reportedly launched late last year in Pyongyang, has spread as far as the country’s southern border and is operated by Kangsong, the state-owned carrier. The 4G network, when available to users, will make possible new services and uses for the network due to the significantly faster data speeds…
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North Korea upgrades its Android security, says report
A new report says smartphone users in North Korea were given until the end of 2023 to upgrade to a new version of the Android operating system or face confiscation of their phones.
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Is 4G on the Horizon for North Korea?
North Korea could finally be getting a long-overdue upgrade to its 3G cellular network. A report says the country has begun importing used 4G networking equipment from Huawei and will launch the new network in major cities. Huawei supplied the current 3G network. The report comes a week after Korean Central Television broadcast a report…
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New Android OS delayed in North Korea, says report
North Korean authorities have delayed a roll-out of a new operating system for Android smartphones.
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Twenty Years of Mobile Communications in North Korea
Twenty years after the first cellular calls in North Korea, mobile phones have become a cornerstone of daily life and the country’s informal private economy.