Pyongyang’s Elites Embrace Smartphones Amid Tight Digital Control

North Korea’s capital hosts a growing cadre of smartphone users who access a state-controlled intranet with hundreds of apps—enabling online banking, QR payments, ride-hailing, and on-demand video—while internet access remains blocked for ordinary citizens and cross-border connectivity relies on risky Chinese networks; the expansion reflects elite urban development and increased government supervision over a digitizing economy.