North Korea’s limited internet hit by major outage, says analyst | Internet News

Internet access in North Korea has experienced a significant and perplexing outage, which a UK-based analyst believes may be the result of internal issues rather than an external cyberattack. Junade Ali, the researcher monitoring North Korea’s internet infrastructure, announced on Saturday that the country’s network is not being registered by global monitoring systems. This raises questions about the stability and functionality of North Korea’s internet as a whole.

Ali explained that the major outage affects all internet routes into North Korea, including those that typically pass through neighboring countries like China and Russia. The precise nature of the complete outage remains ambiguous—whether it is a deliberate shutdown by the government or an accidental mishap. However, Ali indicated that the evidence leans toward an internal cause.

Despite this limited access to the global internet, North Korea does maintain several government-operated websites, including its Foreign Ministry and state news agency, the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA). When checked by Al Jazeera, both sites were unreachable, further underscoring the scale of the internet disruption in the secretive state.

In terms of global internet connectivity, it’s believed that nearly all of North Korea’s internet traffic is routed through servers in China. This raises concerns about the country’s overall digital resilience and accessibility, especially given that direct internet access is an exceptionally rare privilege. Estimates suggest that only a minuscule fraction—less than 1%—of North Korea’s 25 million residents can access the broader internet. The vast majority of citizens rely on a highly monitored intranet, known as Kwangmyong, which severely restricts content and access.

Historically, North Korea has been no stranger to cyber incidents. In January 2022, hacker Alejandro Caceres, operating from the United States, was able to disrupt the nation’s online presence significantly. He executed multiple distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, rendering North Korean websites inaccessible for over a week. Such events highlight the ongoing vulnerabilities in North Korea’s digital infrastructure.

Furthermore, North Korea’s cybersecurity activities have drawn international scrutiny, as officials from the US and the United Nations have accused the nation of maintaining active hacker groups. These cyber units have been implicated in an array of global cyber thefts and espionage, which have only intensified over the years. A recent report from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis indicated that North Korean hackers stole a record-breaking $1.34 billion in cryptocurrency through 47 separate cyberattacks in 2024 alone. This alarming trend showcases not only the capabilities of North Korean cyber units but also their inclination toward increasingly bold actions in the international arena.

The current outage poses questions not just about civil internet infrastructure, but also about the repercussions for the government and general populace. In a state where internet access is equated with accessing external information, interruptions like this can limit the flow of news, ideas, and overall connectivity with the global community. For a regime often characterized by its secrecy and isolation, the implications of a substantial internet disruption could ripple through both economic and political landscapes.

With Kim Jong Un at the helm, the government has focused heavily on controlling information and maintaining a grip on the narrative within North Korea. Limited internet access has historically helped the regime supervise its citizens’ digital activities. However, the recent outage underscores a potential fragility within this control mechanism. Given that Kwangmyong serves merely as a curated intranet, further curtailments in digital communication could lead to even tighter government scrutiny and censorship.

The implications of such outages extend beyond mere inconvenience; they reflect deeper vulnerabilities within North Korea’s digital infrastructure. Internal failures can severely impede government operations and public communications, highlighting the paradox of a regime that monopolizes information flow while simultaneously grappling with technological limitations.

As global interest in North Korea continues to grow, especially regarding its cyber capabilities and potential threats, the recent internet outage serves as a potent reminder of the complexities at play. The world watches closely, analyzing every aspect of North Korea’s internet resilience — or lack thereof — as it may offer critical insights into the inner workings of this enigmatic nation.

In conclusion, while the precise nature of the internet outage in North Korea remains unclear, it has sparked conversations about the country’s technological state and the extent of its digital isolation. With millions of citizens remaining almost entirely cut off from the global internet and faced with a controlled intranet experience, the ramifications of such an event extend far beyond mere connectivity issues. They evoke significant considerations for both the North Korean government and its citizens as they navigate the tightly woven fabric of information and control in a highly surveilled environment. The digital landscape of North Korea, fraught with contradictions and challenges, continues to evolve, and the current situation highlights a tense intersection of technology, power, and governance.

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