{"id":23441,"date":"2022-07-19T07:48:21","date_gmt":"2022-07-19T07:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/?p=23441"},"modified":"2022-07-19T07:48:21","modified_gmt":"2022-07-19T07:48:21","slug":"is-youtube-banned-in-north-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/is-youtube-banned-in-north-korea","title":{"rendered":"Is YouTube Banned in North Korea?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_43 counter-flat ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69eadf54885d4\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69eadf54885d4\"  class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69eadf54885d4\" ><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/is-youtube-banned-in-north-korea\/#Is_YouTube_Banned_in_North_Korea\" title=\"Is YouTube Banned in North Korea?\">Is YouTube Banned in North Korea?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/is-youtube-banned-in-north-korea\/#YouTube_is_allowed_in_North_Korea\" title=\"YouTube is allowed in North Korea\">YouTube is allowed in North Korea<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/is-youtube-banned-in-north-korea\/#Instagram_is_not_on_the_new_list_of_officially_banned_sites\" title=\"Instagram is not on the new list of officially banned sites\">Instagram is not on the new list of officially banned sites<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/is-youtube-banned-in-north-korea\/#Kwangmyong_net_is_a_national_intranet\" title=\"Kwangmyong net is a national intranet\">Kwangmyong net is a national intranet<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_YouTube_Banned_in_North_Korea\"><\/span>Is YouTube Banned in North Korea?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p> <img decoding=\"async\" align=\"left\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/6OOOimt.png\" style=\"max-height:357px; height:auto; max-width:40% margin:0px 10px; width:auto;\" alt=\"Is YouTube allowed in North Korea\"> <\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re wondering if YouTube is banned in North Korea, you&#8217;re not alone. The internet giant just banned two more channels, and has requested that users flag such illegal content. The shutdown is a serious setback for open-source researchers and North Korean bloggers. &#8220;YouTube and Instagram are banned under the new government-approved list of officially banned websites,&#8221; says Curtis Melvin, co-author of the North Korean Economy Watch blog, and a research associate at the U.S.-Korea Institute.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"YouTube_is_allowed_in_North_Korea\"><\/span>YouTube is allowed in North Korea<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>YouTube is not only permitted in North Korea, but it is thriving in the country. The government has even launched a channel that features its star, Un A. &#8220;Echo of Truth&#8221; has more than two-thousand subscribers, and dozens of episodes have been published since last year. North Korean authorities have warned against the damaging influence of foreign cultural influences, but some wealthy entrepreneurs have invested in Western-style cafes and fast-food restaurants.<\/p>\n<p>The content on these channels is important to the North Korean regime, analysts say, as they help them follow the movements of leader Kim Jong Un and the progress of the country&#8217;s weapons programs. But the censorship is a major concern, and it may be counterproductive to the country&#8217;s efforts to track down its enemies. With tensions between the U.S. and North Korea rising this year, the decision to block YouTube appears ironic.<\/p>\n<p>While China has limited Internet access, YouTube is still accessible in some areas, such as the Shanghai Free Trade Zone and specific hotels. If you&#8217;re worried about your safety, consider using a VPN to unblock the website. In North Korea, it&#8217;s one of the most isolated countries in the world. There are severe restrictions on communication and access to information, and only those who have official permission to use the internet can do so.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Instagram_is_not_on_the_new_list_of_officially_banned_sites\"><\/span>Instagram is not on the new list of officially banned sites<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As of January 2018, Instagram is still accessible in North Korea, but not for its users. While North Korea has one of the least-connected internet networks, the regime has recently relaxed censorship controls for foreigners. In 2013, it became possible for foreigners to access the internet on a 3G network and use their mobile phones. However, the state-run media has yet to make any official statements on the matter. However, foreigners are still able to access popular social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram inside the country. The recent livestreaming of a talk by feminist leader Gloria Steinem from Pyongyang has highlighted the growing popularity of the social media platform.<\/p>\n<p>Although there are some similarities between North Korea and the west, the social media platform has been the most controversial. North Koreans had a popular account, known as &#8216;Uriminzokkiri,&#8217; where they posted over 11,000 videos. Despite being shut down by YouTube, this account has managed to garner a significant number of followers. Though the North Korean government is keen to restrict social media, the website&#8217;s decision to block Instagram accounts is ironic, considering the sheer amount of extremist material available there.<\/p>\n<p>The warning on Instagram appears on mobile devices, although it is still accessible on some desktops and laptops. While it&#8217;s blocked for access to desktop computers using a 3G network, users can access it via a LAN cable. The warning on mobile devices, however, is more persistent. The site&#8217;s blocking doesn&#8217;t affect the ability to access the social network, but it prevents users from uploading photos to public galleries.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kwangmyong_net_is_a_national_intranet\"><\/span>Kwangmyong net is a national intranet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The Kwangmyong net, or &#8220;bright star,&#8221; is North Korea&#8217;s official internet, but it looks like a different world altogether. It&#8217;s a rudimentary version of the World Wide Web, with the ability to monitor emails, chats, and other forms of communication. It connects government, universities, and industry, but very few foreigners have access to it.<\/p>\n<p>The government of North Korea is strict about what citizens can and cannot access online, but this isn&#8217;t a problem. Many people in North Korea use mobile phones smuggled from China, so they have limited access to the World Wide Web. The Kwangmyong net is one of the few exceptions to this rule, as most content is selected and monitored by the government. It contains content sourced from the Central Scientific and Technological Information Agency (CSTIA) for use in certain schools, factories, and research institutes.<\/p>\n<p>The North Korean Kwangmyong net features a range of content spanning news, culture, and food. It lists the official government web portal, state insurance corporation, and a Korean Central News Agency. The Pyongyang Broadcasting Agency, which targets Japan, China, and South Korea, has a website devoted to sports. Other portals include the Pyongyang International Film Festival, the Korean tourist board, and the national airline Air Koryo.<\/p>\n<p> <iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wiVKznSY5AY\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"455\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"254\" style=\"margin:0px auto; display: block;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is YouTube Banned in North Korea? If you&#8217;re wondering if YouTube is banned in North Korea, you&#8217;re not alone. The internet giant just banned two more channels, and has requested that users flag such illegal content. The shutdown is a serious setback for open-source researchers and North Korean bloggers. &#8220;YouTube and Instagram are banned under [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24591,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.7 (Yoast SEO v21.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Is YouTube Banned in North Korea? - Zeru<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/is-youtube-banned-in-north-korea\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is YouTube Banned in North Korea?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Is YouTube Banned in North Korea? 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