A popular YouTuber, known for his tech reviews and content, has obtained two North Korean smartphones, revealing some startling insights into their features and restrictions.
The YouTube channel Mrwhosetheboss, which has nearly 22 million followers, recently released a video that has raised concerns among viewers about the presenter’s safety.
In a video titled ‘Testing North Korea’s illegal smartphones,’ Arun Maini (the person behind the channel) explores two smartphones from the secretive nation.
The devices featured are the Hayyang 701 and the Samtaesung 8, with the latter being North Korea’s version of a Samsung Galaxy.
Upon attempting to conduct basic searches on these devices, Arun quickly realized the extent of censorship embedded within North Korean technology.
For instance, when he attempted to search for South Korea on the Hayyang phone, the device corrected it to “puppet state.”
Arun commented on this, pointing out how it demonstrates “just how committed North Korea’s government is [in] sustaining its narrative that South Korea is the inferior, less individual country that just blindly follows whatever the US asks them to.”
When trying to connect these phones to WiFi, Arun found that pressing the WiFi button on the Hayyang had no effect, and the Samtaesung lacked a WiFi button entirely.
Instead, these phones can only access an Intranet, not the global Internet.
“This still doesn’t get you onto the internet,” Arun clarified. “There’s actually no way for a North Korean citizen to do that.”
The Intranet, known as Mirae, allows access only to government-approved TV, news, and propaganda applications.
To gain access to this network, users must provide extensive personal information, including their government identification.
Following the revelations about North Korean censorship, viewers have expressed concern for Arun’s safety.
Comments like “Bro is now the top of the most wanted list of North Korea” and jokes about him moving to an undisclosed location reflect these worries.
Some viewers speculated on the risks, with comments like “If he stops uploading, we all know the reason” and “Ok so if he mysteriously disappears we now know why” capturing the sentiment.
Others highlighted the audacity of Arun’s actions, suggesting he was “risking his life for this content.”
Many viewers also discussed how “absurd” the North Korean cellphones were, considering their heavy restrictions on citizens.