SEOUL - North Korea is evading U.N. sanctions to cash in on soaring domestic demand for smartphones, using low-cost hardware imports to generate significant income for the regime, according to defectors, experts and an analysis of North Korean-made phones.
The phones feature Taiwanese semiconductors, batteries made in China and a version of Google’s open-source Android operating system, analysis of the North Korean phones revealed.because of the North's weapons programs prohibit imports of mobile phone hardware. International brands such as Apple iPhones are not publicly on sale, but traders and wealthy North Koreans can buy them outside the country and use them with local SIM cards, defectors say.
Apps such as maps, games and an English dictionary show they are developed by North Korean engineers at state-run enterprises or state universities. One young North Korean woman surnamed Choi recalled selling two pigs and smuggling herbs from China to raise the 1,300 Chinese yuan her family needed to buy a mobile phone in 2013.
Kim Bong-sik, a researcher at South Korea’s Korea Information Society Development Institute, said estimating revenues was difficult, but it was likely to be one of the state’s biggest earners given the scale of the business.) and run a version of Google’s Android operating system, along with the North Korean security software. Ads for an Arirang-branded handset also claimed to use MediaTek chips.
Mediatek said in a statement to Reuters it had not shipped any products to North Korea, and was in full compliance with sanctions. Toshiba also said the company had no business with North Korea.“North Korea cannot make phones without using foreign components and technology,” said Kim, the researcher. “That means it is violating sanctions to keep running the business.”
I bet those phones are a better technological product than any iPhoneTeam
juminism
juminism How can a society function without communication & mobile phones?. It is obscene that sanctions are in place against N.Korea to prevent communication between N. Korean people. U.S & others must remove these sanctions immediately. U.S a destructive power!
I just don't see an issue i see greed. North korea is basically on a system relatable to YouTube kids on a phone for kids with 3 buttons that say mom, dad and grandma only so wtf i don't get the world.
What if all those parts are simply donations? Made by some entities who saw North Korea able to recycle them? Can we really be made for saving usable components instead of creating additional carbon foot prints.
juminism familiar feeling
juminism Gotta hand it to them. Here I thought our donated old phones were going there.
juminism Seems fair
juminism NorthKorea sanctions smartphone business