By DAVID AVERRE
Published: 08:24 GMT, 7 November 2024 | Updated: 11:22 GMT, 7 November 2024
Thousands of soldiers from North Korea have deployed to Russia to aid Vladimir Putin‘s army in its fight against Ukraine.
But before Kim Jong Un‘s troops head to the frontlines to face Kyiv‘s forces, it seems they must first confront another foe – one with which those of us in the developed world are all too familiar: The trappings of the Internet.
A shocking report by Financial Times columnist Gideon Rachman revealed Kim Jong Un’s troops were ‘gorging on pornography’ in their barracks, having never enjoyed such unrestricted access to the web, according to a ‘usually reliable source’.
Just as the advent of Elon Musk‘s Starlink satellites transformed the lives of tribes deep in the Amazon rainforest almost overnight – many argue for the worse – the military men from Pyongyang were reportedly hooked immediately.
US Department of Defense spokesperson Major Charlie Dietz said he was unable to verify ‘any North Korean internet habits or virtual ”extracurriculars” in Russia’.
‘As for internet access, that’s a question best directed to Moscow,’ Dietz said.
‘Right now, our attention remains on supporting Ukraine and addressing the more significant regional security concerns,’ he concluded, demonstrating a high level of professionalism as well as a noticeable lack of humour.
Clips purporting to show Pyongyang’s soldiers at training camps in Russia have been widely circulated online
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Footage purportedly shows North Korean troops in eastern Russia undergoing training ahead of deployment with Vladimir Putin’s forces in Ukraine
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervises artillery firing drills in North Korea
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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during a signing ceremony of the new partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 19, 2024
Though full Internet access is available for high-level officials and military figures in North Korea, the majority of citizens are only granted access to Kwangmyong or ‘the bright star’ network.
This is the pariah state’s only sanctioned web service and is a heavily firewalled and restricted version of the Internet which does not permit access to any foreign websites, media or news services and is instead replete with state propaganda.
Russia’s state-run media and comms regulator Roskomnadzor also maintains an Internet traffic regulation system known as TSPU, which was formalised in 2019 and requires Russian internet service providers to ensure government-supplied equipment is installed in their networks.
But virtual private networks (VPNs) – tools that allow Internet users to encrypt their data and mask their IP addresses to access sites abroad – are not yet banned and are widely used to circumvent the censors.
It was revealed earlier this year that Russia plans to invest nearly 60 billion roubles ($660 million) over the next five years to widen TSPU’s remit and grant it additional capabilities as the Kremlin seeks to further shape the narrative around the war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials declared earlier this week that Kyiv’s forces had clashed with North Korean troops for the first time as Kim Jong Un’s soldiers fought alongside their Russian counterparts to repel Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region.
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