North Korea Opens Official Website

wumpus188 writes "This is what I believe is the first official North Korean internet site 'Naenara' ('My Country'). Free reg required (login 'slashdot', password 'password' for you lazy slackers :) I esp. enjoyed the 'Favorite Korean Movies' section."

Don

[Anonymous Coward]

Someone already changed the password.

password already changed?

[the_skywise]

username: slashdot
password: password

Invalid password.

Not exactly the first...

[nordicfrost]

KCNA, the NK "news" agensy has had a website [kcna.co.jp]for years in Japan. It is under the JP TLD, and the new one is under the NET TLD.

KCNA functions as the spokesperson for the DPKR, the state of North Korea. Probably the least independent news agency in the world, Fox News included.

Already Bugmenot-ed

[glMatrixMode]

It's a funny thing : BugMeNot (still haven't installed this Firefox extension ?) already works with this website...

Not the first official homepage.

[Anonymous Coward]

A quick Google search [google.com] reveals other:

• DPKR Official Home page [kcna.co.jp]
• DPKR News Agency [kcna.co.jp]

Server in Germany?

[Wingnut64]

traceroute says that the 2nd to last hop is kcc.cust-gw.ipberlin.com, following some .de domains.

Not really the first one

[deepsky]

What about the "official web site"?
http://www.korea-dpr.com/

Inside DPRK: behind the scenes.

[infolib]

In 1999 a german Doctor gained the confidence of the regime. Getting behind the 70ies-kitschy facade, he came back to report on the oppression and poverty. [time.com]

Google [google.com] will find you lots of interviews about his experiences.

Re:Server in Germany?

[rally_redhat]

Yup - it's in Germany all right.

Try this link [netcraft.com] - it's the result of Netcraft's [netcraft.com] "What's that site running?" page.

According to it, the netblock owner is some " I/P/B Internet Provider in Berlin".

Re:Server in Germany?

[zz99]

It is a german that owns the domain.

whois kcckp.net gives this:

domain: kcckp.net
created: 2004-05-28 15:47:12
expire: 2005-11-25 04:14:15

title: CEO
fname: Jan
lname: Holtermann
org: KCC Europe GmbH
address: Glinka Str. 5-7
city: Berlin

(edited to pass the junk filter)

My nationality

[ward.deb]

"97. Netherlander" Those bastards misspell my nationality. It's either Nederlands or Dutch...

Re:Their Server Runs SUSE!

[zz99]

Or, perhaps it is because the server is located in Germany, and run by a German company

Re:go get 'em boys

[Some Bitch]

You may find that bandwidth has nothing to do with it, it's more likely the load generated by PHP-Nuke has driven the server to it's knees.

Re:Server in Germany?

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.kcc-europe.de/index.cfm?defnav=aktuelle &content=aktuelle&showdetail=03123001 [kcc-europe.de]

Ein Berliner bringt das Internet nach Nordkorea

A doughnut brings the internet to North Korea.

Berliner Kurier: Berlin, 30. December 2003. Anschlüsse gibt es aber nur für regierungstreue Firmen und Behörden.

Berliner Kurier (Newspaper): Berlin, 30. December 2003. But access is only given to companies and agencies which are loyal to the government.

Jan Holthusen investierte mit seiner Firma KCC Europe 700 000 Euro, um Geschäfte mit Nordkorea zu machen. (Foto: V.Otto)

Jan Holthusen's company KCC Europe invested 700,000 Euros in order to do business with North Korea. (Foto: V.Otto)

Es ist der letzte Staat der Welt ohne Internet. Jetzt hilft der Berliner Jan Holtermann (49) Nordkorea ans Netz.

It's the last country in the world without Internet. Now Jan Holtermann (49) from Berlin helps North Korea onto the net.

Die guten Verbindungen in die ostasiatischen Diktatur hat der Kaufmann noch aus Nach-Wende-Zeiten. "Da verkaufte ich EDV-Anlagen aus der DDR nach Nordkorea."

The businessman's good connections to the east asian dictatorship go back to the time after the fall of the Berlin wall. "Back then I sold computer systems from the GDR to North Korea."

Er beriet die Asiaten bei Verträgen und Transaktionen, kam dann im Jahr 2000 zum ersten Mal in die Hauptstadt Pjöngjang. Dort stellt er fest: Kein Internet. Nirgendwo.

He advised the Asians concerning contracts and transactions, in 2000 he travelled to the capitol Pjoengjang for the first time. There he noticed: No Internet. Nowhere.

"Das ist die Chance, Geld zu verdienen", sagte sich der findige Unternehmer. Er gründete die KCC Europe GmbH. Jan Holtermann: "KCC heißt Korea Computer Center."

"That is a chance to make money", said the resourceful entrepreneur. He founded the KCC Europe GmbH. Jan Holtermann: "KCC means Korea Computer Center."

Seine Firma mit 15 Mitarbeitern schloss in diesem Jahr einen Exklusiv-Vertrag mit den Nordkoreanern zur Einrichtung und kommerziellen Nutzung des Internet ab.

This year, his company with 15 employees signed an exclusive contract on installation and commercial use of the Internet with the North Koreans.

2004, genau gesagt am 16. Februar 2004, startet das gemeinsame Projekt nach einem Test-Betrieb. Internet-Zugänge werden dann in ausgewählten Firmen und Regierungsstellen stehen. Nicht in Privathaushalten, für die ohnehin nur regionale Telefonverbindungen möglich sind.

In 2004, on the 16th of February, to be precise, the project started after a testing phase. Internet connections will be available in selected companies and government agencies. Not in private homes, who only have access to regional phone connections anyway.

Holtermann: "Es gibt rund 6000 sehr gut ausgebildete Programmierer. Sie mit Dienstleistungen zu beschäftigen, kostet einen Unternehmer nur kleines Geld."

Holtermann: "There are about 6000 well trained programmers. It doesn't cost much to have them provide their services.

Außerdem entwickeln die Nordkoreaner preiswerte Betriebssysteme für Handys, mobile Datenbank Systeme und Video-Konferenz-Systeme. "Alles preiswert und gut", sagt Holtermann. "Sie gewinnen viele internationale Preise."

The North Koreans also develop inexpensive operating systems for mobile phones, mobile database systems and video conferencing systems. "All inexpensive and good", says Holtermann. "They receive many international awards."

Der Server für den Datentransfer steht in der Botschaft Nordkoreas in der Glinkastraße. Um teure Kosten für die Satellitenverbindu

21 Century Gulags

[ej0c]

For a nice little tour of N. Korea, you might visit the report at hrnk.org [hrnk.org]

A national policy of starvation, overwork, and torture. Newborns murdered on grounds of suspected genetic diversity. Imprisonment of three generation of an offender's family. A lifetime political prisoner population of 200,000 - more than all the US military in Iraq; more than all the people in a small industrial city.

Claudia Rosette wrote a column [opinionjournal.com] when the report was released.

Why is Slashdot Wasting Its Time with this Spoof

[Anonymous Coward]

If anyone had bothered to scratch the surface of this site a little, you would soon realise that this is a dummy spoof site set up and run by a German businessman who uses it as a "sweetener" to get computing business in North Korea (which is illegal under UN sanctions, I believe).

He claims he is going to wire up North Korea via satellite - bul*shit!

If you really want to provide your personal details to an unscrupulous German, then feel free - you must really like spam.

It really does not deserve any further attention, other than to say "nice marketing ploy fella".

Anyone for an "official" Ossama Bin Laden blog?

Damian, UK

Re:Inside DPRK

[nordicfrost]

have an independent press, a thriving economy

I object! While the press in DPRK is 100% unfree, the south Korean pess is not free at all. My boss went there on a press convention for new media, and the SK journalists were absolutely flabergasted by the ammount of freedom the press we are used to here. Not only can you be arrested (and frequently people do) for saying certain things in the press, but the media is tightly controlled by a consotrium of owners. The only really free media is an online newssite where hundreds of persons, journalists and non-journalists alike, contribute and 20-some persons edit and publish.

As for money, DPRK was actually richer than SK for a long time after the Korean war. They were bypassed in the eraly to mid 80ies since the USSR gave DPRK al lot of aid and trade. So did China.

Constitiution Day

[Anonymous Coward]

Nice little political stunt... Today is Constitution Day for South Korea.

Whoops...

[plj]

...sorry for being unjust; Finland actually shares the top position with Iceland, Norway and Netherlands. Immediately after this top four comes Canada.

Btw, the Palestinian National Authority performed 82, above Israel itself. Forgot that, too.

Re:Korea makes me proud to be an American.

[Anonymous Coward]

The UN came to the aid of South Korea, not the USA on it's own, it's just that after the war that it became a USA only operation

Re:Korea makes me proud to be an American.

[jdhutchins]

You can go to Cuba all you want. You just can't spend money there due to economic sanctions, unless you get a permit to exclude yourself from the sanctions.

Re:Free Gmail invitation here

[Petrol]

Above link is a Goatse redirect.

Re:FYI: Worldwide Press Freedom Index...

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's 2003's [www.rsf.fr].

1: Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway (tie)
...
11: Latvia
12: Estonia,Slovakia,Switzerland, Czech Republic (tie)
16: Austria
...
30: Timor Leste
31: Greece, United States of America (tie)
33: Poland
...
42: Ecuador, Spain (tie)
44: Japan, Israel (tie)
46: Madagascar
...
48: Ghana
49: South Korea
50: Australia
51: Bolivia, Macedonia (tie)
53: Panama, Italy (still worst EU country) (tie)
55: Peru
...
59: Fiji, Romania (tie)
61: Republic of China (Taiwan)
62: Botswana
...
122: Jordan, United Arab Emirates (tie)
124: Ethiopia, Swaziland, Iraq (under Saddam Hussein) (tie)
127: Democratic Republic of Congo
128: India, Pakistan (tie)
130: Palestinian Authority (under Yasser Arafat)
131: Morocco
132: Liberia, Ukraine (tie)
134: Afghanistan
135: Iraq (under George W. Bush)
136: Yemen
...
145: Maldives
146: Palestinian Authority (under Ariel Sharon)
147: Colombia
...
160: Iran
161: People's Republic of China
162: Eritrea
...
165: Cuba
166: North Korea (dead last again)

Last year, the report combined Israel's actions in all its territories; this year, they separated pre-1967 Israel from the West Bank + Gaza Strip, and did the same for the US in Iraq. It's interesting to see how relatively free democracies can act in war zones compared to their own people's cities. Also, I'm surprised to see India and Pakistan in the same spot. I thought India had a freer press than Pakistan. In 2002, they were 80th to Pakistan's 119th.

Finland is number one

[Anonymous Coward]

1. Finland
...
15. Switzerland & Costa Rica
17. United States
18. Hong Kong
...

Actually the Finnish media is heavily concentrated into the hands of just a few owners. Yes, there is no censorship, state propaganda, or anything like that, but there really is no real discussion in the media about important current issues, such as whether Finland should join NATO or not. The owners of the media want the politicians to make closed cabinet decisions on these issues, which is why they rather shove their stupid Pop Idol shows on us.

I quess that this type of owner control is really a lot worse in the USA at least.

Anyhow, maybe i will one day work as a journalist again, so i will post as an anonymous coward. ;)

Re:Finland is number one

[grammar fascist]

If I recall correctly, one of the big "problems" the studies found with the US press is that they're expected to abide by the law like all the rest of us. There's no magical protection for them (though an awful lot of them think it). They can't get past police barriers, withhold tip-offs of impending terrorism (and other crimes) without legal repercussions, etc.

How very sad for us. Somehow, I don't feel quite so bad about being 31.

I registered!

[Ath]

I gave them my home phone number and cell number. I am beginning to worry that it was not such a good idea.

Actually, the site is pretty funny. Let's see, when you register you can select the occupation of "soldier", something I have never seen before. But I guess when 70% of your population fits that label...

Or the page where they act as if Kim Il Sung is still alive (kind of). The guy died years ago and they are celebrating his 92nd birthday. The page says 1912-2004, as if they just recently decided to acknowledge his death.

I just picture the people who put the site together. "We're finished!" And then they were shot.