Hermit Surfers of P'yongyang
Abstract
The Internet, touted in much of the world as a vehicle for personal liberation, serves in North Korea as a pillar supporting Asia's most authoritarian government. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has embraced the World Wide Web as the latest means of acquiring, processing, and disseminating the foreign technical information required for domestic research and development, while at the same time barring the door against information contrary to its ideology. From P'yongyang and sites outside the capital, researchers surf the Web to acquire the latest technical data. Meanwhile, overseas Koreans, particularly those residing in Japan, gather for their "fatherland" vast amounts of information with an ease unimaginable ten years ago. Inside North Korea, an "Intranet" serves as a means to disseminate technical information to research institutes, factories, and schools throughout the country. Accessing the latest foreign data on line from their place of work, North Korean researchers remain under the control of the authorities. The Internet thus limits the risks of foreign defection or ideological infection inherent in sending scientists abroad to study or attend international conferences.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA521143
Entities
People
- Stephen C. Mercado
Organizations
- Central Intelligence Agency