Only 19% of North Korea's total population uses mobile phones... "High-ranked officials monopolize" = Korean coverage

Only 19% of North Korea's population uses mobile phones, and it's dominated by high-ranking officials and diplomats, it was revealed Wednesday.

According to the CIA World Factbook published by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), as of 2021, only about 19% of North Korea's total population will be using mobile communications in North Korea. Considering that North Korea has a population of about 25.95 million, about 4.9 million people use mobile phones.

Most North Korean mobile phone users are estimated to be high-ranked officials and diplomats. This is because of the strict censorship by the North Korean authorities and the high cost of owning a mobile phone. North Korea's "Communication Service Index" ranks among the lowest in the world, along with Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.

Some North Koreans living in border areas with China are expected to obtain Chinese mobile phone equipment and SIM cards and use mobile phones using Chinese base stations. Using a mobile phone with a Chinese carrier is cheaper than using a mobile phone service run by the North Korean authorities and, if caught, could result in hefty fines and even imprisonment.

“North Korea has chosen to isolate itself from the international community in order to pursue its own ideals, so it has no choice but to impose stronger sanctions on its telecommunications sector” the CIA said.