Mobile Phones Outlawed in North Korea

For the next 100 days, mobile phone use is punishable by death.

This is the news we’re hearing trickling out of North Korea, where the country is in mourning for the death of Kim Jong-il. This will continue for 100 days out of “respect” for the late dictator. Anyone found to be using a mobile phone during this period will be labeled a war criminal for which the penalty guarantees jail time and in some cases, death.

Though not an explicit reason, it seems likely that this outlawing of mobile phones also has to do with the the events from Spring 2011. In a time without concrete central power, the Korean government surely wants to prevent any sort of uprising that could occur from mobile phone coordination.

The decision is plain surreal to those of us here in the western world. What would you do without your phone for 100 days? While mobile phones aren’t as ubiquitous in North Korea, for the supposed 700,000 who do have and use them, just imagine being in their shoes when you fire up your favorite app.

source: AndroidPit
via: AndroidAuthority

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Posted in: Korea, Mobile, North, Outlawed, phones