Illegal File-Sharing Chips Away At North Korean Propaganda

[nsane.forums]

In the high-stakes debate over control of the Internet, it is common to hear how the free flow of information is crucial to development of humanity. For North Korea, a country that has almost zero Internet access and is repressed beyond anything experienced in the West, the free flow of information is a distant concept. But according to a new report, the sharing of pirate TV shows and music among the citizens of the country is challenging the DPRK regimes’ depiction of the outside world.

When it comes to censorship, few countries in the world are as restrictive or repressive as North Korea.

Citizens of the DPRK are routinely deprived access to any and all information, unless of course it has been created, or authorized, by the regime.

The end result is a largely brainwashed society which is fed an alternative version of reality in order for it to be manipulated and controlled. But according to a new survey, developments in technology are giving citizens of the DPRK new access to information and insights into life beyond their borders.

The report, titled A Quiet Opening surveyed North Korean refugees and those who managed to travel outside the country. What it shows is that increasing numbers are gaining access to pirated media from outside the hermit nation, with potentially life-changing consequences.

While devices such as standard radios and televisions are manufactured so that citizens (at least those who can afford them) can only listen to state-run radio stations, imported devices are able to pick up signals from South Korea, China and beyond, although receiving these broadcasts is a crime.

With Internet unavailable to all but a tiny percentage of the elite, citizens of North Korea are obtaining their information through other means, notably file-sharing devices such as DVDs, MP3 and MP4 players, and USB drives.

Through these means they are being increasingly exposed to pirated TV shows and pop music leaking from neighboring South Korea. What they gain from these files is an alternative take on the world which challenges the propaganda of their leaders.

“I was told when I was young that South Koreans are very poor, but the South Korean dramas proved that just isn’t the case,” explains a 31-year-old who managed to escape North Korea in 2010.

Although there is no Internet, computers are legal in the country and are essential for shifting data to and from USB sticks and other media playback devices. What the report shows is that since computers are still rare, people buy blank devices and use their social networks to acquire pirate South Korean media from people with PC access.

“The MP4 [player] was empty but I received movies and music from friends who had computers and then I watched and listened to them. The battery was charged with electricity and it was portable so young people liked it,” says a 23-year-old former Pyongyang resident.

And it appears that the unlawful sharing of files is widespread, particularly among the youth.

“About 70-80 percent of people that have MP3/4 players are young people,” a 44-year-old male who left DPRK in 2010 reports. “When you do a crackdown of MP3/4 players among high school and university students, you see that 100 percent of them have South Korean music.”

In North Korea possession of unauthorized TV shows or music is a very dangerous affair. Depending on how the offense is viewed, punishments can range from 3 months unpaid labor to 5 years in a prison camp if the media originates from South Korea.

But despite the massive risks, young people in the DPRK are apparently prepared to defy the regime by consuming unauthorized media anyway, something they have in common with the US youth who share files in the face of $150,000 statutory damages.

As we read yesterday, the introduction of tougher and tougher laws to combat the spread of pirate material in Sweden also failed to reach the desired effect when they conflicted with social norms.

Of course, the situation in North Korea goes way beyond anything experienced in the US or Europe, but the battles being fought center around the same thing – the free flow of information. Access to information will eventually set the North Koreans free and if that can be achieved through file-sharing, it will be the activity’s biggest achievement to date, bar none.

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[visualbuffs]

North Korean citizens become more globally aware via piracy

North Korea’s propaganda machine is world-famous. Few countries have managed to remain as cut off from the world as the Democratic People's Republic. With a totalitarian blend of government Orwell would have wept at, the country should be the last place on earth to see change coming quickly. The country's recent history has been marred by its leaders, lack of economic prosperity, complete governmental control over the internet, and general antagonism towards the South and the rest of the world. The internet is a heavily controlled medium in North Korea, and few people have access to it. Any information available on their internet service is regulated by the government, under the watchful eye of the Glorious Leader and the Eternal President.

Leave this system in place for a few generations, and you’ll have a society which is largely brainwashed and unaware of the truth. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Brazil annihilated the North Korean team. Obviously, in the Democratic People’s Republic this simply could not be accepted - and it wasn’t. Instead, the population was treated to what was seemingly a North Korean victory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zE86lLz7Iss

Technological advancements are spreading though, and this holds true even in North Korea. The population is growing aware of the world outside the borders of their own country.

When we think of piracy, we mostly think of the negative connotations it has. The theft of games and movies is costing their producers millions per year, and all the other doom-and-gloom stories you’re liable to hear. This is normal and understandable. We see piracy in a negative light whenever it is mentioned. If you're reading this there is a good chance you live in a country where media is readily available through streaming or physical purchase. Those who do not have those luxuries will approach piracy completely differently.

A new report, titled A Quiet Opening, interviews North Korean escapees about the reality of piracy and the impact it is having on their country. The theme shows increasing numbers of people gaining access to pirated media. The consequences of this could be life-altering. If they are caught with this media it is probable that the consequences will also be life-ending, yet there are people still gaining access to this western media.

watch :

Standard radios and televisions in the country are manufactured so they can focus only on the state’s broadcasts, assuming you’re rich enough to afford one. Devices imported from neighbouring countries can access signals from South Korea, China and other countries. Importing is difficult, so the information is spreading via file-sharing.

Files are put on DVDs, MP3/MP4 Players, and USB drives. These files are then distributed among the people. Obviously, this is a crime in the country but plenty of things are. The population is exposed to more pirated television shows and music, especially from South Korea, which does not have a language barrier. Propaganda within North Korea has always suggested that the South is a much poorer country. Observations from refugees lucky enough to escape the oppressive regime of the DPRK have confirmed what we have already known outside the country for quite some time. For those only leaving it, the knowledge must be overwhelming. A 23-year-old escapee from the capital city of Pyongyang was quoted as saying this:

“The MP4 [player] was empty but I received movies and music from friends who had computers and then I watched and listened to them. The battery was charged with electricity and it was portable so young people liked it."

A 31-year-old who managed to escape in 2010 had the following to say:

“I was told when I was young that South Koreans are very poor, but the South Korean dramas proved that just isn’t the case."

The reality of the country is downright terrifying, but to fully drive home the idea of just what imprisonment in North Korea contains, it might be worth expanding on a little. The country still operates prison camps, much like the Soviet gulags which inspired them. In stereotypical fashion the camps are numbered rather than named. Prisoners who do not work are publicly presented to the rest of the inmates, who are told the prisoner had been offered redemption through labor for their country. Instead, they chose to reject the generosity of the country's government. After this they are simply executed. The largest known camp is 31x25... miles. This camp is larger than the city of Los Angeles. Assemblies of more than two inmates are forbidden, except during executions, where attendance is compulsory.

North Korean prison camp information: Escape from Camp 14

News Source: TorrentFreak | Image Credit: Retro Trash blog