{"id":4358,"date":"2019-10-29T15:40:55","date_gmt":"2019-10-29T06:40:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=4358"},"modified":"2019-11-05T10:26:56","modified_gmt":"2019-11-05T01:26:56","slug":"phone-inspections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2019\/10\/politics\/phone-inspections\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside N. Korea\uff1e Sexting Sting: Roadside Cell Phone Inspections Cause Embarrassment as Police Probe Data and Texts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

(Photo) A man turns over his notebook as he talks on his mobile phone. Photograph taken by Koo Kwang-ho in the Moran District of downtown Pyongyang in June 2011<\/p><\/div>\n

Mobile phone usage has expanded greatly in North Korea, with 5 million people, over 20% of the total population, now in possession of a device. Particularly popular are smartphone-type devices capable of storing images and photos. Meanwhile, the North Korean authorities, concerned by this rise in technology, have sought to tighten their control.<\/p>\n

Authorities can tap mobile phones to monitor calls but, nowadays, censors are more concerned with the spread of easily-copied videos, pictures, and text messages.<\/p>\n

During roadside inspections and dress code crackdowns, officers first demand to be shown text messages as well as stored photos and videos on mobile phones. Often, when officers choose to confiscate a mobile phone, an investigation follows.<\/p>\n

A reporting partner living in the northern region of the country told ASIAPRESS in mid-October, \u201cFor all investigations, the Ministry of People\u2019s Security (police), National Security Agency (secret police) and other public security agencies now begin by inspecting mobile phones. I asked an acquaintance of mine who works for the State Security Department and he told me that they have hired a specialist in restoring erased data.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the reporting partner, if you are asked to show an officer the contents of your phone but refuse to do so, the phone will be seized and taken away to have the password or fingerprint authentication cracked. The police offices are said to house such technical experts.<\/p>\n

Mobile phone inspections are not limited to just police investigations, however. In North Korea, there are teams of officers on the streets that inspect phones. Known as \u2018disciplinary teams\u2019 or \u2018secret groups\u2019, they are also charged with cracking down on decadent clothing and hairstyles.
\nNext page :The reporting partner recalled an absurd... <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

A tablet produced by the North Korean brand, \u2018Ryongak Mountain\u2019. Data can be transferred to and from the device using an SD card. (ASIAPRESS)<\/p><\/div>\n

The reporting partner recalled an absurd incident that occurred in early October:<\/p>\n

A woman in her 20\u2019s who works at a shoe factory in front of Hyesan City theater was apprehended by the \u2018disciplinary team\u2019 for violating the dress code. During the stop, the inspecting officers demanded to see the contents of the woman\u2019s phone to check for foreign dramas or other illegal media.<\/p>\n

When the woman resisted and refused to provide her password, the officers threatened to drag the woman to the police station to show them the contents. What turned out to be on the phone, however, was not an illegal video, but rather a photograph of the woman in her underwear. Too ashamed to show the picture, the woman had resisted the officers\u2019 orders.<\/p>\n

Since the end of last year, when inter-Korean exchanges were still increasing, North Korean authorities have been strongly clamping down on the inflow of information from South Korea. As part of these extensive efforts, the authorities go so far as to stop people on the street to check their text messages.<\/p>\n

The reporting partner explained, \u201cIt is not uncommon for the \u2018secret groups\u2019 to inspect text messages. They check messages for any South Korean-style words or abbreviations. For example, they look for the word \u2018ty\u2019, which stands for \u2018thank you\u2019. If they see words like this, the owner of the phone will be questioned under suspicion of watching South Korean films. So students and young people do their best to avoid these inspections and take the precaution of immediately deleting their text messages after reading them.\u201d (Kang Ji-won)<\/p>\n

\n
\uff1cRelated Article\uff1e<\/div>\n