.kp
Encyclopedia
.kp is the Internet
country code
top-level domain
(ccTLD) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (also called North Korea). It was created on September 24, 2007.
in Germany
. A few of the websites in this domain are:
Since December 9, 2010, the top level domain's URL for registration services,http://www.kcce.kp , has been unavailable.
s.
According to national leader Kim Jong-Il
, "I'm an Internet
expert too. It's all right to wire the industrial zone only, but there are many problems if other regions of the North are wired."
Access is rare and limited; Reporters Without Borders
once described the nation as "the world’s worst Internet black hole" as "Internet officially does not exist in the world’s most isolated country, but a handful of privileged people are allowed to go online through the phone system
(which is routed through China) or via satellite
."
As of 9 October 2010, access to a block of IP address
es reserved for the DPRK is now being provided by China Netcom
into the DPRK and this has been used to provide uncensored access to journalists visiting for its 65th anniversary.
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
country code
Country code
Country codes are short alphabetic or numeric geographical codes developed to represent countries and dependent areas, for use in data processing and communications. Several different systems have been developed to do this. The best known of these is ISO 3166-1...
top-level domain
Top-level domain
A top-level domain is one of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System of the Internet. The top-level domain names are installed in the root zone of the name space. For all domains in lower levels, it is the last part of the domain name, that is, the last label of a...
(ccTLD) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (also called North Korea). It was created on September 24, 2007.
Usage
As of 2010 there were an increasing number of websites in the .kp domain. Many of these are hosted by KCC EuropeKorea Computer Center
The Korea Computer Center is the leading North Korean government information technology research center. It was founded on October 24, 1990....
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. A few of the websites in this domain are:
- The official North Korean governmental portal NaenaraNaenaraThe Naenara, literally "my country" in Korean is the official web portal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea . The portal's categories include politics, tourism, music, foreign trade, arts, press, IT Industries, history, and "Korea is One"....
at naenara.com.kp - The website of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign CountriesCommittee for Cultural Relations with Foreign CountriesThe Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries is based in North Korea . It is responsible for organizing a wide area of cultural events and to develop international relations between the DPRK and many countries of the world....
at friend.com.kp - The website of the Korea Education Fund at http://www.koredufund.org.kp
- The website of the Korean Central News AgencyKorean Central News AgencyThe Korean Central News Agency is the state news agency of North Korea and has existed since December 5, 1946. KCNA is headquartered in the capital city of Pyongyang...
at kcna.kp - The website of the digital edition of the Rodong SinmunRodong SinmunRodong Sinmun is a North Korean newspaper and the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, published by the Rodong News Agency. It is the most widely read newspaper in the country...
newspaper at rodong.rep.kp
Since December 9, 2010, the top level domain's URL for registration services,
Internet in North Korea
North Korea has no private Internet service providerInternet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
s.
According to national leader Kim Jong-Il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
, "I'm an Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
expert too. It's all right to wire the industrial zone only, but there are many problems if other regions of the North are wired."
Access is rare and limited; Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
once described the nation as "the world’s worst Internet black hole" as "Internet officially does not exist in the world’s most isolated country, but a handful of privileged people are allowed to go online through the phone system
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
(which is routed through China) or via satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
."
As of 9 October 2010, access to a block of IP address
IP address
An Internet Protocol address is a numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing...
es reserved for the DPRK is now being provided by China Netcom
China Netcom
China Netcom, full name China Netcom Group Corporation Limited , abbreviated CNC, was a former telecommunication service provider in People's Republic of China...
into the DPRK and this has been used to provide uncensored access to journalists visiting for its 65th anniversary.
See also
- Communications in North Korea
- Internet censorship
- List of Korea-related topics