North Korea operates a closed national intranet known as Kwangmyong, effectively isolating its citizens from the global internet. The government maintains a strict monopoly on information, and access to foreign websites is technically blocked for the general population. Consequently, the use of VPNs to bypass these censorship measures is impossible for most and strictly prohibited for all unauthorized personnel (1).
The legal landscape in North Korea severely criminalizes any attempt to access unsanctioned media or the outside world. Under laws like the Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Act, utilizing tools like VPNs to view foreign content is a major offense. The state views such actions as anti-socialist, and the legal system is designed to suppress any flow of external information (2).
"The consumption of foreign radio broadcasts and possession of contraband devices in North Korea is illegal, as are the facilitation and nonreporting of such activity; all are subject to severe punishment under an 'anti-reactionary thought' law, up to and including the death penalty."
Enforcement is ruthless, with surveillance mechanisms in place to detect illicit digital activity. Citizens caught accessing the global internet through VPNs or other means face draconian penalties, ranging from forced labor in prison camps to public execution. Access to the World Wide Web is a privilege reserved exclusively for a tiny circle of high-ranking government elites and officials (1).
Source:
https://freedomhouse.org/country/north-korea/freedom-world/2024
https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/north-korea
Last updated: 14-01-2026 Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.
