◯ North Korean mobile phones, which are often made by Chinese manufacturers All mobile phones that are officially distributed in North Korea are sold by koryolink. Most of them are mobile phones made in China, and those with the manufacturer name hidden to those with the manufacturer name listed are distributed, and ZTE (ZTE) mobile phones are overwhelming in terms of the number of models and distribution volume. Most of them are made by Huawei Technologies. In addition, although the number of models is small, mobile phones made by TCL and Uniscope Communication are also available.
Mobile phones that are officially distributed in North Korea will not be delivered directly to CHEO Technology by the manufacturer, but will be first delivered to Korea Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC) and then sold through koryolink. This KPTC is a state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Communications of North Korea, as already introduced, and is considered to be substantially the same as the Ministry of Communications of North Korea. Localization is also being carried out for North Korea, such as removing some of the functions, and it is thought that KPTC first adopted a mechanism to deliver to KPTC in order to confirm that there is no problem in distributing it to the market.
◯ North Korean mobile phones given the brand name koryolink has sold more than 30 types of mobile phones so far, but many mobile phones have been given the brand name. In general, the brand name of a mobile phone is often put in the alphabet somewhere on the main body, but the brand name of a North Korean mobile phone is put in Korean.
Specific brand names include "Pyongyang (평양)", "Ryugyong (류경)", and "Arirang (아리랑)". Currently, most of them are Pyongyang brand mobile phones, and not only feature phones but also smartphones have appeared. In North Korea, straight feature phones are the most common, followed by foldable feature phones, most of which are under the Pyongyang brand.
Full-touch panel feature phones and low-priced smartphones, which are often mistaken for smartphones among young people who have a strong interest in digital devices, have also appeared, and these are also given the Pyongyang brand.
Also, the Ryugyong brand has only a few straight or full touch panel feature phones, and the Arirang brand is given to the top smartphones.
ZTE Pyongyang F107. Enter the brand name in Korean. The ZTE logo of the manufacturer name is on the back of the Pyongyang F107.◯ Abundant color variations and cases Until now, there were many black mobile phones in North Korea, but in recent years, pop-colored mobile phones such as bright yellow-green have appeared. ZTE's foldable feature phones come in pop colors, and I've seen some users use them in Pyongyang.
In addition, the number of users who wear cases on mobile phones is increasing, and there are also users who wear and use cases with ears that can be seen in Japan. It can be seen that not only mobile phones but also cases are diversifying.
◯ Arirang smartphone is a flower of Takamine The Arirang AS1201 purchased by the author is famous in North Korea because it was reported by the Korean Central News Agency, but it is said that it is still out of reach of many North Koreans. When using the Arirang AS1201, a clerk was interested in the restaurant, and on the return flight, I encountered a scene where North Korean students sitting nearby asked me to touch it. It was the first time for me to touch or even see the actual machine, and he told me that it was too expensive to touch. The instructor who accompanied me at the time of purchase showed a surprised expression, which suggests that Arirang AS1201 is still a "flower of Takamine".
Smartphones and feature phones with full touch panels are attractive among North Koreans, but the prices are set high, and many users put up with old straight and foldable feature phones for economic reasons. is the current situation.
The brand name is displayed in Korean on the startup screen of Arirang AS1201. There is also an Arirang brand TV in North Korea, which has exactly the same startup screen as the Arirang AS1201.◯ Uses of mobile phones by North Koreans North Koreans cannot basically use the Internet with mobile phones except for some positions, but smartphones and other devices have appeared. The North Korean people can also confirm what kind of use they will be used for, and it goes without saying that voice calls are the main use, but applications such as camera functions and games / learning are also becoming widespread. Especially in North Korea, there are many cases where the camera of a mobile phone is the only camera that does not have a dedicated camera. When I was shown the instructor's mobile phone, he told me that a lot of pictures of children were stored and that I used the camera function frequently.
In addition, many game-related apps such as game apps made in North Korea are pre-installed on Arirang AS1201, and the instructor enjoys the game on his mobile phone so much that he asks him to play the game with Arirang AS1201. It can be seen that this usage is also accepted in North Korea. On the other hand, there are many apps that are useful for studying dictionaries, including apps that allow you to learn simple Japanese and Chinese.
◯ Future mobile communication situation in North Korea In 2013, the ban on mobile phones brought in by foreigners was lifted, prepaid SIM cards were sold to foreigners, and the state media reported on Arirang brand smartphones. The mobile communications industry has undergone major changes. Although rarely reported in Japan, Korean Central Television has reported a policy to increase the lineup of mobile phones, indicating its stance of focusing on the development of mobile communications.
However, increasing the penetration rate in rural areas is indispensable for the development of North Korea's mobile communications. In Pyongyang and Kaesong, the number of citizens who use mobile phones is clear just by looking around, and the low penetration rate of mobile phones in regions other than Pyongyang, that is, the economic disparity between Pyongyang and the regions is also highlighted. rice field. Local development will be the key to the development of North Korea as well as mobile communications.
Mobile communications is a world that is undergoing drastic changes, not just in North Korea, but we would like to continue to pay close attention to the mobile communications industry in North Korea.
Article writing: Kazuki Tamura ■ Related links ・ Esmax (S-MAX) ・ Esmax (S-MAX) smaxjp on Twitter ・ S-MAX --Facebook page ・ blog of mobile
