North Korean troops are ‘hooked on PORN’ after being allowed ‘unfettered entry’ to the web for the primary time whereas preventing for Russia

Thousands of soldiers from North Korea have deployed to Russia to aid Vladimir Putin‘s army in its fight against Ukraine. 

But before Kim Jong Un‘s troops head to the frontlines to face Kyiv‘s forces, it seems they must first confront another foe – one with which those of us in the developed world are all too familiar: The trappings of the Internet.

A shocking report by Financial Times columnist Gideon Rachman revealed Kim Jong Un’s troops were ‘gorging on pornography’ in their barracks, having never enjoyed such unrestricted access to the web, according to a ‘usually reliable source’. 

Just as the advent of Elon Musk‘s Starlink satellites transformed the lives of tribes deep in the Amazon rainforest almost overnight – many argue for the worse – the military men from Pyongyang were reportedly hooked immediately. 

US Department of Defense spokesperson Major Charlie Dietz said he was unable to verify ‘any North Korean internet habits or virtual ”extracurriculars” in Russia’.

‘As for internet access, that’s a question best directed to Moscow,’ Dietz said. 

‘Right now, our attention remains on supporting Ukraine and addressing the more significant regional security concerns,’ he concluded, demonstrating a high level of professionalism as well as a noticeable lack of humour. 

Though full Internet access is available for high-level officials and military figures in North Korea, the majority of citizens are only granted access to Kwangmyong or ‘the bright star’ network.

This is the pariah state’s only sanctioned web service and is a heavily firewalled and restricted version of the Internet which does not permit access to any foreign websites, media or news services and is instead replete with state propaganda. 

Russia’s state-run media and comms regulator Roskomnadzor also maintains an Internet traffic regulation system known as TSPU, which was formalised in 2019 and requires Russian internet service providers to ensure government-supplied equipment is installed in their networks.

But virtual private networks (VPNs) – tools that allow Internet users to encrypt their data and mask their IP addresses to access sites abroad – are not yet banned and are widely used to circumvent the censors. 

It was revealed earlier this year that Russia plans to invest nearly 60 billion roubles ($660 million) over the next five years to widen TSPU’s remit and grant it additional capabilities as the Kremlin seeks to further shape the narrative around the war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials declared earlier this week that Kyiv’s forces had clashed with North Korean troops for the first time as Kim Jong Un’s soldiers fought alongside their Russian counterparts to repel Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region.

In an interview with South Korean broadcaster KBS, Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov reported his troops had engaged a ‘small group’ of North Korean soldiers just across the Russian border.

His claims were backed up by US officials who confirmed to Reuters that North Korean troops were actively involved in combat in Russia’s Kursk region on November 4.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the lack of Western response to North Korea’s involvement, remarking that these ‘first battles with North Korea open a new chapter of instability in the world.’ 

The alarm was first raised by Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence services who reported that a contingent of up to 11,000 North Korean soldiers had arrived in Russia and had undergone training. 

Images of the troops engaged on the battlefield are yet to emerge, but clips purporting to show Pyongyang’s soldiers at training camps in Russia have been widely circulated online. 

Russian soldiers taken prisoner in Kursk have also been recorded telling their captors of difficulties they had experienced communicating with the North Koreans, adding that some units had suffered friendly fire. 

In one clip, a haggard-looking prisoner of war says his unit was in a forest with ten North Korean soldiers after having been sent to dig out trenches when they were caught in a crossfire.

‘During the assault, the Koreans started firing at us’, he explained. 

‘We tried to explain to them where to aim, but I think they shot two of our own’.

‘I decided it was better to surrender in this situation than to be killed by our own bullet’, the soldier said. 

North Korea’s foreign minister Choe Son Hui vowed last week that the so-called Hermit Kingdom would stand by Russia until its victory in Ukraine during a visit to Moscow. 

US intelligence said last week that some North Korean troops had already made their way to the Kursk border region, with Washington and Seoul warning North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to withdraw his army. 

‘We will always stand firmly by our Russian comrades until victory day,’ Choe declared in Moscow after talks with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

She said North Korea had no doubt in the ‘wise leadership’ of President Vladimir Putin, who signed a mutual assistance pact with Pyongyang this summer and massively warmed ties with the reclusive state.

Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow has denied the reports that North Korean soldiers were fighting against Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

Lavrov did however laud ‘very close ties’ between the two countries ‘armies and special services.’

‘This will also make it possible to solve significant security aims for our citizens and yours,’ he added, without giving details.

Lavrov said Russia was ‘deeply grateful’ for North Korea’s ‘principled stance’ on Ukraine.