Choe Son-hui, North Korean Foreign Minister, Spotted Carrying Foldable Phone
Using North Korean Brands Such as 'Arirang' and 'Cheongsong'
Following the capture of a black foldable smartphone presumed to be used by North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un last July, a recent post on Chinese social networking services (SNS) has attracted attention by revealing North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui holding a foldable smartphone.
A post uploaded on Chinese SNS on the 12th showed a close-up photo of the phone held by Foreign Minister Choe alongside an image of the Chinese brand 'OPPO Find N2 Flip.' Most local netizens responded that it "looks exactly the same (as the Chinese brand phone)." However, one netizen countered by claiming that their company had supplied parts to the North Korean phone brand 'Arirang,' asserting that the smartphone is a North Korean brand.
Choe Son-hui, North Korean Foreign Minister, holding a foldable smartphone (left) and China's Oppo flip phone (right) posted on Chinese social networking service (SNS) [Image source=Captured from Chinese SNS]
Earlier, in July last year, a black foldable smartphone believed to belong to Chairman Kim was spotted on the desk at the site where he was overseeing the test launch of the new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) 'Hwasong-18.' Until March last year, Kim used a bar-type smartphone, but it appears he switched to a foldable phone thereafter.
However, according to a North Korean smartphone report released last month, although the variety of smartphones sold in North Korea has increased compared to the past, there are still no products manufactured domestically. Martin Williams, a researcher at the U.S. think tank Crimson Center, published a report titled 'North Korea’s Smartphones in 2024' on the North Korea-focused media outlet '38 North' on the 24th of last month. The report estimated North Korea’s population at 24 million and currently estimated the number of North Korean mobile phone subscribers at around 6.5 to 7 million. This is more than five times the estimated 1.2 million landline phones.
Over the past two years, the variety of smartphone models sold in North Korea has doubled, and new brands have emerged, with about 10 companies currently known to sell smartphones and feature phones. The report explained that all smartphones sold in North Korea are produced by Chinese companies, and North Korean companies receive them through an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) arrangement. Chinese companies manufacture smartphones according to orders from basic design, branding them with North Korean brand names such as 'Arirang,' 'Cheongsong,' 'Samtaeseong,' and 'Jindallae.'
North Korea's Korean Central TV introduced "Three Things to Know About Using Mobile Phones" on the 9th of last month, unveiling the latest smartphone "Samtaeseong 9." [Image source=Korean Central TV capture, Yonhap News]
The software installed is a localized version for North Korea, running on a restricted Android operating system that can only connect to approved networks. Installation of unauthorized applications is blocked, and access to unapproved videos, e-books, and foreign media is prohibited. Internet access is also blocked, but demand is increasing for easy communication, weather forecasts, and games. Despite strict management by North Korean authorities to block citizens from external information, smartphone usage continues to grow.
In line with this trend, Korean Central Television (KCTV) has been broadcasting programs introducing information related to smartphone use. In September last year, KCTV addressed issues arising when calls are made with excessively strong signal strength, and since January this year, it has introduced tips on when to reinstall and maintain mobile phone operating systems, also airing content warning that prolonged use of smartphones in one posture can be harmful to health.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council prohibits all direct and indirect supply, sale, or transfer of industrial machinery to North Korea under Resolution 2397, paragraph 7. Therefore, smartphones are classified as embargoed items under the resolution, and supplying smartphones to North Korea in any form may constitute a violation of sanctions. Due to this, the North Korean delegation participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics did not receive the 'Galaxy Z Flip6' smartphone specially made by Samsung Electronics, the official sponsor of the Olympics. The North Korean delegation also refused to accept Samsung smartphones during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics when the organizing committee offered them on the condition of return before departure, fearing sanctions violations.
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