The WhatsApp instant messaging service has been blocked for users in North Korea since the second half of December, multiple foreigners living in the city told NK News.

The service, which offers secure end-to-end encryption that makes it difficult for messages and calls to be monitored or intercepted, can now only be accessed by users in North Korea through a virtual private network (VPN) connection, three resident users said.

It’s not clear whether the block of the WhatsApp service is being implemented by North Korean government authorities or if the block is on the service provider side.

One of the