Open internet access

Yes. Ordinary North Koreans cannot use the global internet. Instead they get Kwangmyong, a closed national intranet with a few state-approved websites, news and email. Real internet access is reserved for a small elite: senior officials, selected researchers, state media, cyber units and foreign embassies. As of 2026, North Korea remains the most cut-off country online in the world.

Why is the internet banned in North Korea?

North Korea’s government controls almost all information its people see. Free internet access would expose citizens to foreign news, South Korean culture and criticism of the Kim family. That is the threat the regime works hardest to block. So the country never opened the global internet to the public. It built a sealed domestic network instead, where every page is approved by the state.

Key facts

• Status: Global internet banned for ordinary citizens
• What people use instead: Kwangmyong, a closed national intranet
• Who gets real access: a small elite, plus foreign embassies and some state agencies
• Size of North Korea’s internet: about 1,024 public IP addresses for the whole country
• Penalties: accessing or sharing foreign content can lead to labor camp sentences

What is Kwangmyong?

Kwangmyong (“bright light”) is a nationwide intranet that started around 2000. It works like a private office network: users can read state news, use library databases and send email, but only inside North Korea. It has no connection to the outside internet. Foreign content that appears on it is copied, filtered and approved by the state first.

How small is North Korea’s internet?

The country is so small online that outages are easy to see. In January 2022, North Korea’s websites went down several times, and an American hacker later claimed responsibility.

Can tourists use the internet in North Korea?

Barely. Most visitors stay offline for their whole trip, and hotel access is limited and expensive when it exists. For Americans, the question is mostly closed: US passports have been invalid for travel to North Korea since September 2017, and the State Department extended that restriction to August 31, 2027. Only specially validated passports, such as for some journalists and aid workers, are allowed.

How do North Koreans get outside information?

Mostly through smuggling. USB drives and SD cards carrying South Korean dramas, K-pop and foreign films cross the Chinese border, and near the border some people use Chinese phones to reach outside networks. All of this carries serious risk.

The internet block is only one part of North Korea’s information wall. The same system bans YouTube and every other foreign video site, makes calling abroad without permission a serious crime, and punishes anyone caught watching South Korean films or TV dramas. See all bans in North Korea.