A mobile phone smuggled out of North Korea has revealed shocking new details about the country’s strict surveillance tactics. According to a BBC investigation, smartphones in North Korea are programmed to automatically censor content, block the South Korean language, and spy on users in real-time, all without their knowledge. Once this phone was outside the control of the regime, it gave a rare glimpse into how far the North Korean government goes to control information and prevent foreign influence.
Censorship with an Agenda
The censorship system is built directly into North Korean smartphones. The BBC’s investigation showed that common South Korean words are automatically changed to fit the regime’s views. For example, when typing “South Korea,” the phone changes it to “Puppet State,” a term the North Korean government uses to describe Seoul as being controlled by the United States.
Another example is the word “Oppa,” a term used in South Korea to refer to an older male friend or boyfriend. On a North Korean phone, the word is automatically replaced with “Comrade.” Users are also warned with a message saying, “This word can only be used to refer to siblings.”
Silent Surveillance: Screenshots Every 5 Minutes
The surveillance doesn’t stop at word changes. The phone secretly takes a screenshot every five minutes and stores these images in a hidden folder that users can’t access. Only state officials have the ability to retrieve these screenshots. This allows the regime to monitor a person’s activities, like the apps they use, the messages they write, and the content they view.
This secret surveillance system helps the government build a detailed profile of users without their consent, monitoring their every move.
No Room for Modifications
In North Korea, all communication devices—whether it’s radios, televisions, or smartphones—are strictly controlled. These devices come pre-set to only allow government-approved content. If someone tries to tamper with these settings or access foreign media, it is considered a serious crime.
Phones are sealed to prevent any hardware changes, and the internet is completely blocked for regular citizens. This results in a highly controlled digital environment that aims to keep people ideologically aligned with the regime’s beliefs.
Crackdown Grows Stronger Under Kim Jong Un
According to a report by South Korea’s Unification Ministry, the censorship efforts in North Korea have become even stricter under Kim Jong Un. The report, which is based on testimonies from 649 defectors, reveals how North Korean officials often check people’s phones for foreign slang, contact names, or media that suggests exposure to outside culture—especially South Korean media.
K-pop and Korean dramas are completely banned in North Korea, as they are seen as threats to the regime’s control. One particularly disturbing case in the report is about a 22-year-old man who was publicly executed for listening to and sharing South Korean music and movies.
The government’s goal is clear: to completely isolate the country from foreign cultural influences.
A Control Mechanism
North Korea’s censorship methods are extreme, even for an authoritarian regime. By embedding surveillance and propaganda tools directly into everyday devices, the government doesn’t just limit what people can see—it controls how they think and behave.
As the BBC investigation shows, the phone in North Korea is not just a tool for communication—it is a tool for control. Every word typed, every action taken, is watched. For people in North Korea, privacy is non-existent.
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