North Korea is a secretive nation that refuses to open to the world and to step into the new century. The country remains stuck in its own ways and that doesn’t only refer to traditions, but to a repressive system in which millions of people are under the control of an intriguing leader who holds complete power. Kim Jong-un is the third ruler in a dictatorship dynasty that keeps North Korea isolated. Nuclear tests and continuous threats to its neighbor, South Korea (which is pretty much the complete opposite as it is a modern society that has embraced technology), have gather attention from the international community. Recently, there have been talks between the two nations, as well as meetings between the North Korean leader and the president of the United States. However, there is still tension in the region and the situation for human rights in North Korea is still dire.
In North Korea, privacy and freedom are practically non-existent since the government has implemented a surveillance system that invades the lives of all citizens. Political offenses are punished harshly and those who are detained, endure torture, starvation and more. Although there has been some progress in the economy, the regime continues breaching human rights in a large scale. The government holds control over the information and everything revolves around propaganda to promote the leadership. Authorities have the power to stop people from forming or expressing their own opinions and transgressions are severely punished. There is only one internet service provider and the price for the service is quite high. The majority of people are unable to access the internet (in most cases, North Korean residents can only access the intranet known as Kwangmyong) as this is a privilege that is only reserved for officers in high ranks and university professors. Still, many of them face restrictions and their activities are monitored.
In recent years, there have been some attempts to provide mobile internet services, mainly for those who are visiting the country. However, the services are expensive and the vast majority of popular websites are blocked. In fact, there are reports that indicate that only a handful of websites can be accessed in North Korea. The limited selection includes an official tourism site and government websites about the country. Any website that could be considered as Western influence, is blocked. Popular US sites, as well as South Korean sites are banned. The local content that can be accessed is as expected, dedicated to promote the government’s good deeds and to praise Kim Jong-un. Even TV series have to remain loyal to the leader and show an image of the country that depicts stability and order. Considering the strict censorship in North Korea and the surveillance system that is in place, those who want to be able to access international websites and protect their privacy, need to use a VPN service.
A VPN can provide strong protection for your online traffic as it directs it through an encrypted tunnel. The encryption used, prevents third parties from seeing what you are doing online. This is why a VPN is an excellent tool to protect your privacy and to avoid online surveillance. Apart from securing your internet traffic, making it unreadable to others, a VPN helps you to hide your identity. Your IP address is masked when you connect to a VPN server. Instead of seeing your real IP address, others will see the IP address of the server you are connected to. If you connect to a VPN server in a different country, you will appear as if you were in that location. This gives you the chance of accessing content that is available there.
With a good VPN, you can bypass restrictions and protect your privacy. However, it is important to choose a solution that is reliable and that works in North Korea. Given the harsh restrictions that are in place, not all VPNs are effective there. Plus, it is important that you consider the possible risks of using a VPN in North Korea, since the country is likely to apply penalties to those who try to circumvent their restrictions. With this in mind, there are two major VPN providers that work in North Korea and that will allow you to enjoy online freedom and to protect your privacy, even under a totalitarian regime like the one in North Korea.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is ahead of its competitors, thanks to the impressive speeds that it offers and the high level of encryption that it uses to safeguard your privacy. This provider is based in the British Virgin Islands and it has a good reputation due to its strong commitment to help users to keep their information private. ExpressVPN has thousands of servers in over 140 locations around the globe. ExpressVPN also offers top quality software that is compatible with multiple platforms. They also offers 24/7 customer support that is ready to help with any query you may have. ExpressVPN has servers in South Korea, which would be a practical location to connect to due to its close location and because it gives you access to a great variety of content. ExpressVPN doesn’t keep logs of your activities.
NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the best options for people who are mainly concerned about keeping their privacy protected. Based in Panama, NordVPN is a zero logs provider, which means that it doesn’t keep records and doesn’t monitor any aspect of your activities or connection when you use the service. NordVPN allows users to enhance the privacy and security of their online data with the help of sophisticated features like double VPN and Onion over VPN. The first allows you to an an extra layer of encryption to ensure that others can’t see what you are doing online. The second one lets you combine the security of a VPN and the anonymity that Tor provides. NordVPN has over 5000 servers in more than 60 countries. It is another reliable and effective solution for those who are in North Korea and want to reclaim their right to freedom and privacy.