• The North Korean smartphone connects only to the state intranet and blocks Wi-Fi access.

• The phone rewrites banned terms and saves random screenshots for official checks.

• Ryu said the device cost about $250, limiting ownership mainly to wealthier residents.

A North Korean smartphone smuggled from the country shows how mobile tools can support state surveillance and language control. The interface resembles a standard Android device at first glance. 

The Hyang 701, built in 2023, offers calls, texts, payments, shopping, entertainment and taxi booking. However, it blocks the open internet and locks Wi-Fi access. Daily NK gave the device to Wall Street Journal reporter Dasl Yoon for examination.

North Korean Smartphone Restricts Networks and Digital Content

The North Korean smartphone connects only to the state intranet. Its app library contains approved films, music, games and shopping services.

A payment app supports QR transfers in local currency or U.S. dollars. Users can also call taxis through the same page.

One soccer game features Lionel Messi, while the country menu omits the United States and South Korea. Those limits combine useful services with tightly managed information access.

Former soldier Ryu said he bought a similar device for about $250 through the illicit market. He contrasted that price with a military officer’s monthly salary of slightly more than one dollar.

This price reportedly restricts ownership mainly to wealthier residents. Smartphone use has still expanded beyond Pyongyang in recent years.

North Korean Smartphone Records Screens and Rewrites Words

The North Korean smartphone changes or flags politically sensitive terms. Searching Kim Jong Un bolds his name, while entering South triggers a banned-word warning.

The keyboard replaces popular South Korean slang for boyfriend with “male buddy.” This digital censorship limits language linked to foreign media and K-dramas.

More intrusive controls appear inside a folder called watch history. The software captures random screenshots that owners cannot delete or remove.

Officials can later inspect those images during device checks, according to the Wall Street Journal video. Earlier research found similar screenshot controls on other state-approved phones.

Ryu said watching American or South Korean films can bring a five-year prison term. He said distributing such files can lead to execution under national law. The device continues recording screens while policing the words its owner can type.

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