Overview

• The device was obtained through underground defector networks in late 2024 and analysed by BBC experts in June 2025 to reveal its built-in control mechanisms.
• It runs on a heavily modified Android system that blocks global internet access and confines users to the state-run Kwangmyong intranet.
• An auto-correction feature enforces government language by turning ‘oppa’ into ‘comrade’ and changing ‘South Korea’ to ‘puppet state,’ accompanied by on-screen warnings.
• Hidden surveillance software takes screenshots every five minutes, storing them in concealed folders accessible only to state authorities.
• The regime has outlawed South Korean media—including K-pop and TV dramas—and deploys youth patrol squads to enforce bans on foreign cultural influence.