Each month, NK TechLab highlights three interesting or important articles that provide a window into the use of technology in North Korea or by the state. This month, digital grain vouchers, a report on North Korea’s cyber operations, and a North Korean feature phone.
Daily NK: North Korea launches app-based digital grain voucher system to control distribution
The vouchers North Koreans receive for rice distribution are going digital, reports Daily NK. One of the main motivations for replacing paper coupons with digital is to keep better control over the rice supply, monitor usage and prevent theft, the report says.
A trial of the system is taking place in Pyongyang, Nampho, Hamhung and Wonsan among people with a mobile phone account in their own name, Chonsong e-payment card and a good record of attendance at work, it said. Vouchers can be traded and additional vouchers can be purchased electronically using the e-payment card.
“North Korean authorities intend to bring the storage and management of grain under the total control of government-run grain stores before the end of the Eighth Party Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea and to adopt a “smart” digital system that will make it possible to instantly monitor all stages of grain supply and distribution during the Ninth Party Congress, which will begin next year,” Daily NK reported, quoting a source inside the country.
Analysis: The interface for the digital grain voucher system is visible in the Samhung E-wallet app, present on a 2024 smartphone obtained by NK TechLab. It’s impossible to go beyond the menu without being signed on to the North Korean cellular network, but it gives an idea of the service.
The adoption of the system is in line with introduction of other digital technology in the country, which appears to be based on providing more convenience for citizens but also allowing the state to better monitor and control supply and consumption of goods and services.
Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team: DPRK Sanctions Violates in Cyber Operations Post UN Panel Demise
The latest report from the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, an 11-nation initiative set up after the demise of the UN Panel of Experts, tackles North Korean operations in cyber space.
The 140-page report says North Korea continues to violate UN Security Council resolutions through its IT worker program and offensive cyber program. It estimated that North Korean cyber attacks resulted in the theft of $1.19 billion in cryptocurrency in 2024 and has resulted in $1.65 billion in theft so far this year.
The report goes into depth on the various North Korean cyber groups, their activities and includes a handy chart showing where they fit in the general organizational chart of the state.
The report also looks at the money laundering steps taken by North Korean cyber criminals after the steal crypto currency and some of the methods used to turn the crypto currency to cash.
NK Internet: Unboxing the Arirang 182 – A North Korean Feature Phone
The NK Internet blog provides a comprehensive analysis of the Arirang 182 cellphone. Unlike most of the North Korean cellphones analyzed outside the country, the Arirang 182 is interesting because it’s not a smartphone but a feature phone.
The report details the main specifications of the phone and the attempts made to get it to operate and connect to the Internet, all of which were unsuccessful. The phone has a pretty basic list of functions, the camera is not particularly good, but it does appear to be a waterproof, rugged design.
Analysis: While most attention is paid to smartphones, it’s good to get a closer look at a feature phone. North Korea has wide income disparities among social groups and regions and despite the large number of smartphones available, not all can likely afford them.
The phone appears to be based on a Chinese design, although its exact origins are unclear.
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