{"id":2175,"date":"2023-03-05T13:34:14","date_gmt":"2023-03-05T12:34:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northkoreainfo.com\/?p=2175"},"modified":"2023-03-05T13:34:14","modified_gmt":"2023-03-05T12:34:14","slug":"can-you-have-a-phone-in-north-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northkoreainfo.com\/can-you-have-a-phone-in-north-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"Can you have a phone in north korea?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since the early 2000s, North Korea has increasingly restricted access to mobile phones and the internet for its citizens. In 2017, it was estimated that only about 3% of the population had access to the internet, and only about 15% had access to a mobile phone. North Koreans who are able to access the internet do so through government-approved intranet services. Mobile phones are only allowed to be used within the country on the state-run Koryolink network; calls to South Korea and international numbers are blocked. Although the use of mobile phones and the internet is heavily restricted in North Korea, a small number of people have been able to access them illicitly.<\/p>\n

Yes, you can have a phone in North Korea, but only if you are a member of the elite class. The average North Korean citizen cannot afford a phone, and even if they could, they would need special permission from the government to own one.<\/p>\n

Are North Koreans allowed phones? <\/h2>\n

The findings underscore the advances in communications technology in North Korea, despite the country’s image as one of the world’s most isolated and repressive nations.<\/p>\n

The study by the U.S.-based Open Technology Fund and the Seoul-based North Korea Strategy Center said there were now more than 28,000 WiFi hotspots across North Korea, up from just 1,000 in 2012.<\/p>\n