June 09, 2023
Opinion

Friendship and family networks are key to getting outside info to North Koreans

Autocratic regimes atomize communities and increase suspicion, but some spaces are safer for sharing illicit info

North Korea is infamous for its strict control of information and media, with the state effectively banning foreign media consumption unless its publishers or media outlets first reprocess it. 

But despite the efforts of nongovernmental organizations and governments to broaden information access in the country, the international community still lacks a clear understanding of what kinds of information and dissemination strategies are likely to work within North Korea's borders.