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  • New Android OS delayed in North Korea, says report

    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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  • North Korean TV Coverage of the World Cup

    North Korean TV Coverage of the World Cup

    North Korean viewers are getting pretty fast coverage of World Cup matches on Korean Central Television. The broadcaster is airing most games on a one- or two-day delay, which is a big improvement from four years ago when it only broadcast games beginning with the second half of the tournament. [Updated on December 12] KCTV…

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  • Twenty Years of Mobile Communications in North Korea

    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.

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  • Google at the Grand People’s Study House

    Google at the Grand People’s Study House

    The availability of Internet access at the Grand People’s Study House in Pyongyang has been known for many years. Tourists to the site have reported seeing it many times and Eric Schmidt, founder of Google, and his colleagues saw North Koreans accessing Google and the Cornell University websites when they visited in 2013, according to…

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  • An expansion of KCTV broadcasting hours

    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’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

    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

    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

    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…

  • Jonsung smartphones still yet to appear

    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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