Smartphone "subversion" DPRK-Smartphone-Korea IT news
Smartphone "subversion" North Korea

One thing beyond all expectations is happening in North Korea, and it happen faster than anyone expected.

Mobile communication services in North Korea's explosive development. In the capital and other major cities, approximately 2 million of North Korea's elite now uses 3G communications network. The speed of this change is often not perceived by outsiders. Many people still remain in North Korea during the famine of the mid 90, is rumored to have as many as 2 million people died of famine.

The entire third year is Kim came to power this month. Despite North Korea's politics and its opaque, but it seems that idea at the top has changed. Because there is no Government to allow North Korea has anything can change.

Smartphones is popular in Korea

Provide mobile services based on cooperation with the North Korean Government of Egypt telecom firm Orascom data end of 2012 in the 14 months to the end of 2013, North Korea's number of mobile phone users has increased from 1 million to 2 million, and now could exceed $ 2.5 million.

However, users of these devices, only a small fraction of a Smartphone. In 2013, the Government said 100,000 imported from China smartphones, but ordinary citizens have smart phone is unable to access the global Internet. North Korea until 2008 before establishing its own mobile network, mobile phone has been disabled. Texting each other but the younger generation is already very common things.

Meanwhile, in 2012 because of a legal change, many small and medium sized private businesses are springing up. North Korea scholars Professor Mr yabulahami is North Korea's young business start-up, he said, "in the past the best way to succeed is angling at the Government or military, but now with a great deal of social change. Now not only are allowed, people still long for, because this is the way to make money and be successful. ”

People unable to obtain any reliable data of the Korean economy and, therefore, often need to feel about the country's economy. Startup Vungle ad kelin·bei-er, head of business development, said one day in Pyongyang for a restaurant when he saw a waitress a break is playing the North Korean version of plants vs zombies.

North Korea's Smartphone and tablet computer without Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, all data services were cut off, and only a handful of news can be viewed. The application above, including dictionaries, games, teaching texts and national encyclopedia. Applications must be purchased from the Government-controlled stores, and through the 3G network authentication mechanism. Unauthorized applications are removed.

Even so, North Korea has been a programmer, or even a new entrepreneurial culture. Problem is due to a lack of Internet access, many entrepreneurs do not even know how to get consumers, even in markets where it is. Many programmers working in North Korea is to outsourcing to China. Many people simply do not know how much value they create by providing cheap labour. Kelin·bei-er said, "but they only get a small piece of the pie. Surprise them on the rear. ”

North Korea is at the crossroads of change. Its manufacturing base is obsolete and in a shadow of his former. The exploitation of natural resources in the country, needs a lot of capital, North Korea currently does not have. But North Korea Korea education as very important, cheap IT workforce makes business requires very little upfront investment.

North Korea has a tradition of Engineering Department, dedicated to research in the field of programming and software-oriented University. And is rumored to have a Cyber University. Use this advantage to create high-tech industry, would require North Korea's Government to relax the restrictions on people's access to the Internet. This trend is very clear, albeit in a controlled manner in the "boxes" are closely monitored.

We have seen time and time again with the rise of the Internet's social revolution. The Internet as a means of connecting people, and is bound to accelerate the transformation of Korean culture. （）