The small slice of folks who sit atop North Korea's sociopolitical hierarchy use the internet pretty much like anyone else in the world, according to a study published by Recorded Future on Wednesday.
That might sound surprising, and indeed the report sparked a flurry of news stories on the topic. But it shouldn't come as a shock, according to experts familiar with the region.
SEE ALSO:U.S. bans tourists from traveling to North Korea"It shouldn't be a surprise that they like gaming and shopping at Amazon," said Robert Manning, an Asia analyst with The Atlantic Council. "I think it's not as weird a place as people think it is."
The internet activity of North Koreans, as noted by Recorded Future, definitely supports that.
North Koreans with access to the open internet -- generally the members of the ruling family and those they trust, such as friends and staff members -- do things you or I or really anyone else does on the internet. They read the news, mess around on Facebook, play some games, check email, and search for stuff on Amazon. They spend a ton of their time on the internet streaming stuff and gaming. Those two things combined make up 65 percent of North Korean internet activity.
Those with internet access in North Korea are also fluent in United States culture and political discourse.
Those with internet access in North Korea are also fluent in United States culture and political discourse, according to Michael Madden, who runs North Korea Leadership Watch. They watch American pundits and read The New York Timesand other international news outlets.
"North Koreans are not nearly as hermetically sealed as we make them out to be, and North Koreans are not nearly as hermetically sealed as they make themselves out to be," Madden said.
The country is more open than people realize, though access to any type of online information is still strictly monitored if you're not high up on the ruling family food chain.
Many North Koreans have cellphones, but those phones are equipped with little more than the ability to call and text, according to Recorded Future. Some, such as "university students, scientists, and select government officials," have access to the nation's intranet, which is run and closely monitored by the government.
While officials might be concerned about the computer activity of their fellow citizens, they're evidently not that concerned that others can look in on their own computer antics. Recorded Future was able to get their data because, like seemingly damn near everyone else on the internet, the North Korean elite didn't do much to obscure their online activity.
If that doesn't prove an obvious commonality, then I'm not sure what does.
TopicsPolitics
(责任编辑：探索)
17 questions you can answer if you're a good communicator
Taylor Swift returns to her part
‘Resident Evil VII’ is scary in first person and scarier in VR
Android apps will be the best thing on your ChromebookTwo states took big steps this week to get rid of the tampon taxNate Parker is finally thinking about the woman who accused him of rape
Nate Parker is getting a crash course in male privilege after, in his own words, not thinking about
...[详细]The terrible, awful, no good, very bad newspaper industry
Paper bad. TV good. Platforms dominant.That's the overarching message of the Pew Research Center's "
...[详细]
If you love McLaren's 675LT Spider but wish it were constructed entirely from carbon fiber, you're i
...[详细]Twitter rolls out Periscope button to all users
In May, Twitter started testing a dedicated Periscope button with a small percentage of Android user
...[详细]Old lady swatting at a cat ends up in Photoshop battle
We all have that relative who gets annoyed with the cat. 。This timeless photo of an old woman shooing
...[详细]Chewbacca mom meets the original wookie actor, creating balance in the force
Who would imagine that buying a mask would grant so many opportunities?Surely, when Chewbacca mom, C
...[详细]Sling TV brings live television (finally) to Apple TV
Live TV is finally coming to the Apple TV.Dish Network's Internet-delivered live-TV service will be
...[详细]Queen Elizabeth scolds Prince William like every good grandma should
Queen Elizabeth is not immune to the duties we've all come to associate with our loving grandmothers
...[详细]Olympic security asks female Iranian fan to drop protest sign
Olympic security personnel questioned a female Iranian volleyball fan Saturday when she showed up fo
...[详细]Big Narstie asks you to vote in the EU referendum
LONDON -- Rapper Big Narstie has joined a line-up of celebs urging the British public to vote in the
...[详细]Tesla's rumored P100D could make Ludicrous mode even more Ludicrous
Cities across the world show their support for Orlando shooting victims
