North Korea is known for a lot of things: propaganda, prison camps, starving citizens. Manufacturing high-end electronics is not one of them. But who says a totalitarian dictator can’t dream?
North Korea is apparently busy “manufacturing” its very own smartphone, the “Arirang”. Kim Jong-un visited the Pyongyang factory, where workers are “manufacturing” the devices over the weekend and gave the burgeoning smartphone industry his stamp of approval. There are plenty of pictures of him looking it the things.
The word “manufacturing” deserves scare quotes, because none of the photos or reports coming out of North Korea show the phones actually being made, leading some to believe that they’re actually built in China and shipped to North Korea for inspection. It’s unclear if North Korea’s “Samjiyon” tablet and laptop-for-the-people come from a similar supply chain. This would hardly be the first time North Korea was caught faking something though.
Regardless of where they’re built, the phones look legit enough. Photos of the screens appear to show them running a version of Android, and the state-run KNCA news agency boasts that the “touch hand phone” comes with a camera with “high pixels”. But it’s really how it’s built that matters. The KNCA report continues:
Looking at the trademark “Arirang” inscribed on the hand phone, he noted that mass-production of goods with DPRK trademark can instill national pride and self-respect into the Korean people.
How nice to see hand phones being successfully produced with indigenous technology, he said, adding it is of educational significance in making people love Korean things.
Too bad they’re probably not made in North Korea. [North Korea Tech via The Next Web]
when ever i see pictures of north korea doing anything i always look at the background, there is never anyone doing any other work. it is like the whole country is a movie set all action in front of the camera but if you look off to tthe side.....nothing
Yeah but look at the guy on his computer running Win XP. He looks like he's doing some serious business with those two win explorer windows open.
Funny thing is that no one would know he wasn't doing anything because no-one there has ever seen a computer. Even the Generals are still using paper instead of a North Korean tablet.
Too risky, might get snooped on by the NSA.
That looks like my computer when the boss walks past
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Last edited August 13, 2013 3:44 pm
My eye was drawn to the long, dark corridor stretching into the distance. It looks like an abandoned hospital, or abandoned something-or-other anyway.
If I had Jung-un and his henchmen come up to me, and every one of his henchmen had a notepad and was taking notes, I would be near s#!ting my pants!
those guys we wearing suits before they heard he would be coming. disposable pants chitting overall ACTIVATE!!!
North Korea always reminds me of that one kid every knew in middle school, who would brag about all the awesome toys he had, then when anybody asked to come over and play would say "Uh, they are still in boxes in the garage" or something of that nature. "Yeah, well my dad made me some nuclear weapons!"
i swear in that last photo with the "generals" taking notes the guy at the back in the blue cap looks like he is just about to tuck into a bowl of rice.....sneakily
Also in that bottom photo
Kim Jong Un: Good phone, gooood phone... *pat pat*
Man look at those generals hats! That is pure genius right there, you don’t need an umbrella when it rains!
What gets me is that they didn't even prepare more than a dozen empty boxes for the photoshoot
What are the scissors for? Does he cut off one of the Made In North Korea stickers from a big roll and paste over Made in China with it.