North Korea has seen a notable rise in smartphone use, particularly within its capital, Pyongyang, despite the country’s strict restrictions on internet access. While ordinary citizens remain cut off from the global internet, a growing segment of the population—mainly the elite—has embraced mobile technology as part of a controlled digital ecosystem under the leadership of Kim Jong Un.

Recent analysis of two of North Korea’s latest smartphones, obtained through experts specializing in the regime’s technology, reveals a digital environment heavily oriented toward government oversight. These devices operate on a closed national intranet rather than the global internet, offering users access to a diverse range of state-approved applications, including streaming services, e-wallets, and public transport apps. However, the roughly $750 price tag for top-tier phones places them beyond the reach of most North Koreans, many of whom earn significantly less through formal and informal means.

Smartphone adoption surged after 2008, with subscriber numbers now exceeding 6 million in a population of about 26 million, although the exact share of smartphones remains unclear. Many of these are Chinese-made hardware running domestic software, with over two dozen local cellphone brands reported. The country’s 4G network supports these devices, enabling various state-sanctioned applications that demonstrate increasing sophistication in North Korean software development.

Mobile payment systems are gaining traction in Pyongyang, with residents using smartphone e-wallets to conduct transactions such as QR code payments, taxi bookings, food delivery, and even movie ticket reservations. This shift from cash to digital transactions facilitates the government’s efforts to monitor currency flow, control prices, manage taxation more effectively, and crack down on theft and corruption, particularly in grain distribution. Street vendors have also reportedly begun to accept QR code payments.

Entertainment options available on these smartphones include Manbang, a streaming app offering on-demand access to television shows, movies, and state media content. This initiative is seen as part of a broader government campaign to restrict exposure to foreign programming, especially illicit South Korean dramas and movies, the possession of which carries severe penalties.

In addition to general apps, there are specialized offerings such as “A Woman’s Age,” an app focused on women’s health and fitness that includes tutorials on menstrual tracking, makeup, and maintaining physical fitness, featuring a message from former leader Kim Jong Il. Healthcare-related services also encompass a medication delivery app and a “Medication Dictionary” to help users understand pharmaceutical terms, reflecting attempts to modernize healthcare logistics and clamp down on medicine theft amid a fragile medical system.

The expansion of smartphone use is largely concentrated in Pyongyang, where urban development and economic vibrancy have increased under Kim’s leadership. Observers note a visible boost in the city’s infrastructure, with new high-rise apartments, increased vehicle traffic, and services resembling ride-hailing apps with dynamic pricing. Such technological advancements illustrate the regime’s strategy of introducing select luxuries to maintain elite loyalty while maintaining strict control over information and communication.

Despite the proliferation of domestic digital services, North Koreans remain largely isolated from the outside world online. Accessing the global internet requires clandestine measures, such as purchasing illicit SIM cards and tapping into Chinese border signals, both of which carry significant risks due to monitoring and legal penalties. The government’s confidence in controlling internal digital activity appears to underpin the cautious expansion of smartphones, underscoring a balance between modernization and surveillance in the country’s evolving technological landscape.