A smartphone business thrives in North Korea despite sanctions. Here's how

International News

North Korea is evading UN sanctions to cash in on soaring domestic demand for smartphones, using low-cost hardware imports to generate significant income for the regime, according to defectors, experts and an analysis of North Korean-made phones.
Economists estimate as many as six million North Koreans - a quarter of the population - now have mobile phones, a critical tool for participating in an informal market economy that has become a key income source for many.
Reuters spoke to some 10 defectors and experts about the use of mobile devices in North Korea, as well as reviewing state media reports and advertisements for mobile devices, and examining two North Korean-branded smartphones.
The phones feature Taiwanese semiconductors, batteries made in China and a version of Google's open-source Android operating system, analysis of the North Korean phones revealed.
United Nations sanctions imposed in 2017 because of the North's weapons programmes prohibit imports of mobile phone hardware.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has endorsed wireless networks, some reportedly built with the help of China's Huawei Technologies, and local mobile phone brands through public speeches and a tour to a mobile phone factory reported by state media.
Big outlay

 Basic North Korean phones typically cost between $100 and $400 at state stores or private markets, experts and defectors say. Subscriptions to mobile carriers are registered at the telecom ministry's stores...Read More