{{North Korea, one of the most isolated and censored societies on the planet, has unveiled what it says is a domestically-produced smartphone.}}<\/p>\n
Industry analysts say the “Arirang”, built around Google’s Android OS, is likely manufactured in neighbouring China, however.<\/p>\n
The existence of the phone, named after a famous Korean folk song, came to light during a factory inspection by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at the weekend.<\/p>\n
During the tour, Kim was given a detailed briefing on the “performance, quality and packing of the Arirang hand phone,” Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.<\/p>\n
Some analysts suggest the “Arirang” is aimed at getting North Koreans to use an officially-approved phone that can be properly monitored.<\/p>\n
While Internet access is virtually non-existent in North Korea, which comes bottom of any media freedom survey, the country is not a complete IT desert.<\/p>\n
Cell phones were introduced in 2008 through a joint venture with the Egyptian telecom firm Orascom, which says there are now two million users in North Korea.<\/p>\n
A domestic Intranet was launched in 2002 and some state bodies have their own websites.<\/p>\n
It is a natural progression for an impoverished country desperate for investment, but in North Korea the economic imperative is always weighed against the potential for social disruption.<\/p>\n
Subscribers to the sole cell phone system provider, Koryolink, can call each other, but not outside the country.<\/p>\n
The Intranet is similarly cut off from the rest of the world, allowing its very limited number of users to exchange state-approved information and little more.<\/p>\n
Access to the full-blown Internet is for the super-elite only, meaning a few hundred people or maybe 1,000 at most.<\/p>\n
For all the regime’s efforts, the information barrier erected around North Korea has, in recent years, begun to lose some of its prophylactic power.<\/p>\n
Smuggled Chinese mobile phones allow people near the border to connect with Chinese servers and make international calls, while re-wired TVs allow access to outside broadcasting.<\/p>\n
The KCNA report on Kim’s factory visit noted that the young leader praised the “Arirang’s” developers for coming up with a product that “provides the best convenience to the users while strictly guaranteeing security”.<\/p>\n
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