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An expansion of KCTV broadcasting hours
Korean Central Television is so far sticking with an expansion of broadcasting hours that started when the country declared a national Covid emergency in mid May.
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North Korea’s online IT exhibitions
North Korea has taken many science and technology events online as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The country typically hosts numerous technology conferences each year to showcase developments and give researchers a chance to exchange ideas and information. One of the biggest annual expos, the National Exhibition of IT Successes (전국정보화성과전람회) took place online…
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KCTV production of the New Year’s Eve event
The annual New Year’s Eve event in Pyongyang is one of the only times each year that Korean Central Television broadcasts live. The event consists of a concert in Kim Il Sung Square before midnight and fireworks to start the new year. It has been televised since 2018 and is usually shown in two parts:…
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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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Pyongyang Hotel international call rates
Calling overseas from a hotel room is never a cheap experience, especially so in North Korea. A guide to the Pyongyang Hotel published in late 2021 provides an updated look at the cost of international direct dialed calls from guest rooms. The price of calls varies considerably and there doesn’t seen to be much reason…
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Jonsung smartphones still yet to appear
North Korea’s newest smartphone brand appears to have stumbled. In late 2019, Jonsung Economy & Technology Exchange Company (전승경제기술교류사) made a splash at the 15th Pyongyang Autumn International Trade Fair with a large advertisement showcasing its Samthaesong (삼태성) smartphone. But now, almost two years later, that same smartphone is said to be still under development.…
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The Olympics are back on KCTV
North Korean television began televising competition from the recently-concluded Tokyo Olympics last week. Korean Central Television launched coverage in its late afternoon sports slot between 4pm and 5pm on Tuesday, August 10, and has so far shown highlights daily with the exception of Sunday, which was the Liberation Day national holiday. On Tuesday it showed…
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Kim Il Sung University researchers invent a robot vacuum cleaner
Engineers at Kim Il Sung University have developed a robot vacuum cleaner, according to a submission to a North Korean journal of inventions. The robot is not pictured but sounds similar in design and concept to the cleaning robots that are on sale around the world. It has two wheels on a differential drive axle,…
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Korean-language broadcasting in China
In several regions along North Korea’s northern border with China, Korean-language programming from Chinese broadcasters is available on television and radio. Unlike programming such as Voice of America, Radio Free Asia or KBS Social Radio, these broadcasts are not intended for reception in North Korea but for the large number of Korean speakers who live…
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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…
