It is clear that smartphones in circulation in North Korea are being monitored in an unimaginable way, such as taking screenshots every 5 minutes
An investigation into a smartphone secretly taken out of North Korea revealed that it contained information control functions aimed at government surveillance, such as a function that replaces characters when certain words are typed and displays a warning, and a function that secretly takes screenshots every five minutes.
In North Korea, your phone secretly takes screenshots every 5 minutes for government surveillance | TechSpot
Smuggled North Korean smartphone shows insane things Kim Jong Un is doing to control his people
https://nypost.com/2025/06/01/world-news/smuggled-north-korean-smartphone-shows-insane-things-kim-jong-un-is-doing-to-control-his-people/
A smartphone taken by the South Korea-based North Korea specialist magazine Daily NK was featured in a BBC video . The brand of the smartphone is unknown, but the design and UI are very similar to those of Huawei or Huawei sub-brand Honor, and when turned on, it displays an animated North Korean flag waving.
In addition, it was discovered that the device is equipped with unique North Korean features, such as the ability to automatically censor words that the government considers problematic. For example, if you try to type the word 'oppa,' which means 'older brother' in Korean and is also commonly used to refer to a boyfriend, it is automatically corrected to 'comrade.' In addition, a warning appears on the screen saying, 'The word oppa can only be used for older siblings.'
North Korea
In addition to correcting 'oppa,' the North Korean smartphone also included a feature to replace 'South Korea' with 'puppet state,' the term North Korea uses to refer to South Korea.
The app also had the ability to take screenshots every five minutes and store the images in a hidden folder that the user could not access, allowing the North Korean government to review the images later to monitor user activity, according to the BBC.
In recent years, the use of smartphones has increased in North Korea, but functions are strictly controlled, such as not being able to access overseas sites. Furthermore, until now, users were not even able to take screenshots. According to Daily NK, screenshots have been allowed for the first time on a device called the 'Samtaesong 8.'
However, the three-finger swipe down gesture for taking a screenshot doesn't work in the Collected Works app, which contains the writings of North Korea's past supreme leaders and revolutionary history. Daily NK explains that swiping down on content related to the supreme leader could be considered rude.
Additionally, apps like 'Mongnan Reader' and 'Chongso,' which allow users to view videos and electronic documents, allow users to take screenshots of materials they upload themselves, such as memoirs of Kim Il-sung, books praising the country's leaders, and collections of writings by past leaders. Furthermore, if you type 'Kim Jong-un' into a text message, translation app, or dictionary app, you can take a screenshot even if the text is not favorable, Daily NK reports.
'Smartphones have now become a vital tool for North Korea to indoctrinate its population,' said Martin Williams, an expert on North Korea technology and intelligence. 'They're trying to gain an information advantage.'
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