WORLD NEWS: Kim’s Surveillance Tech SHOCKS Investigators

North Korean smartphones secretly take a screenshot every five minutes and store them in hidden folders accessible only to state authorities, ensuring the regime can monitor citizens’ every digital move.

Key Takeaways

• A smuggled North Korean smartphone reveals the regime’s extensive surveillance system, including automatic screenshots every five minutes stored in hidden folders for government review.
• The phone’s software automatically changes “South Korea” to “puppet state” and replaces “oppa” with “comrade,” enforcing state ideology through language control.
• Using South Korean phrases or accents was officially made a state crime in 2023, with “youth crackdown squads” patrolling streets to monitor compliance.
• North Koreans have no internet access and are limited to a closed intranet system called Kwangmyong that contains only state-approved content.
• Despite extreme censorship, some North Koreans risk severe punishment to access forbidden media through smuggled USB drives and micro-SD cards.

Total Digital Surveillance Exposed

A smartphone secretly smuggled out of North Korea has exposed Kim Jong Un’s shocking surveillance apparatus, revealing unprecedented levels of technological control over citizens. The device, obtained by Daily NK, a Seoul-based media organization, demonstrates how the communist regime has weaponized technology to monitor, censor, and indoctrinate its population. Running on a heavily modified version of Android, the phone automatically takes screenshots every five minutes without user knowledge, storing them in hidden folders that only government officials can access during routine inspections.

The smartphone represents a powerful tool in Kim Jong Un’s information control arsenal, designed to prevent any outside influence from penetrating North Korean society. North Koreans have no access to the global internet, instead being limited to Kwangmyong, a closed intranet system containing only government-approved content. Any attempt to modify electronic devices or access foreign media carries severe penalties, potentially including public execution for repeat offenders or those sharing banned content with others.

Linguistic Control and Ideological Programming

Perhaps most disturbing is the regime’s manipulation of language through technology. The smuggled phone revealed an autocorrect system that forces North Korean ideological compliance in everyday communication. When users type “South Korea,” the phone automatically changes it to “puppet state,” reinforcing state propaganda that portrays South Korea as an American puppet. Similarly, the Korean term “oppa” (a term women use for older men) is replaced with “comrade,” accompanied by a warning message.

“This word can only be used to refer to siblings,” suggested the North Korean smartphone.

The regime’s fixation on linguistic control escalated in 2023 when using South Korean phrases or accents was officially criminalized. This tightening grip on language reflects the Kim regime’s paranoia about South Korean cultural influence, particularly K-pop and Korean dramas that might expose citizens to the prosperity and freedom enjoyed south of the DMZ. Such media is strictly prohibited, with possession potentially resulting in labor camp sentences or worse.

The Battle for Information Control

While liberals in America complain about “misinformation” and push for online censorship, North Korea shows the terrifying endpoint of government control over information. The smartphone’s surveillance system represents just one element of the regime’s comprehensive approach to isolating its citizens from reality. Radios and televisions are pre-configured to receive only state broadcasts, and regular inspections ensure compliance. The revelations from this smuggled phone demonstrate how the communist regime has adapted modern technology to strengthen its stranglehold on power.

“Smartphones are now part and parcel of the way North Korea tries to indoctrinate people,” said Martyn Williams.

Despite these extreme measures, some North Koreans continue to risk everything for access to forbidden information. Dissidents like Kang Gyuri, who eventually escaped the country, faced reprimands for adopting South Korean styles and had their phones checked for prohibited content. Underground networks smuggle USB drives and micro-SD cards containing South Korean entertainment across the Chinese border, while some organizations broadcast information into North Korea via radio waves. These brave resistance efforts demonstrate the universal human desire for truth and freedom, even in the world’s most oppressive regime.

“The reason for this control is that so much of the mythology around the Kim family is made up. A lot of what they tell people is lies,” said Martyn Williams.

The smartphone’s escape from North Korea provides a rare window into the hermit kingdom’s evolving methods of population control. As the Kim regime increasingly weaponizes technology to maintain power, the battle between state censorship and the human thirst for information continues. This glimpse into North Korea’s digital prison should serve as a stark reminder of why America must safeguard free speech and resist government overreach in the name of “content moderation” or “fighting disinformation.”