North Korea’s Revised Radio Wave Control Law
A key North Korean law that provides the technical basis for much of the country’s censorship of foreign broadcast and communications networks has been expanded in scope. The Radio Wave Control Law (전파관리법) previously only covered radio equipment, but a revised version published in 2023 includes electronic devices, including computers.
The revisions add a lot more detail to the legal framework around the use of radio and electronic equipment. This was likely necessary due to the growing use of a diverse range of digital communications devices inside North Korea and the specific issues and challenges faced by the state with the proliferation of those technologies. Gatekeeping information consumed by citizens is vital to the state’s control system and digital communications technologies present new challenges to that regime.
The revised law also details penalties for both individuals and organizations, indicating that it is not just end users who attempt to skirt information control laws, but also organizations that sell and import devices.
Background
The North Korean state intensified its battle against foreign information in 2022 with the passage of the Anti-Reactionary Thought Law. That law attempts to prohibit the distribution and consumption of foreign information, imposing severe punishments for violations. The revisions to the Radio Wave Control Law came a year later and complemented those information control efforts by attempting to regulate a wider range of technologies that enable access to uncensored information.
The Radio Wave Control Law was first introduced in 2006. The most recent revision available outside of North Korea was from June 2015 (published by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service). However, a 2023 update to the law was included in a database of North Korean laws loaded onto a new North Korean smartphone obtained by 38 North’s NK TechLab project in late 2024.
The 2015 version of the law only covered radio equipment, which included devices such as radios and televisions, but the 2023 version expanded coverage to other electronic devices including cellphones and computers.
The law names the “Radio Wave Supervision Agency” (전파감독기관) as the state body responsible for inspection and registration of devices.
Inspection and Registration
Both the 2015 and 2023 versions of the laws begin by specifying that a mandatory technical inspection is required for radio equipment. The inspection is said to be “a crucial task to ensure national security.”
In the 2023 revision, this requirement has been expanded to electronic equipment. According to the law, this includes anything that receives satellite navigation signals, smartphones, equipment installed in cars and on ships, and any equipment donated to the country by foreigners or foreign organizations. It also includes equipment used by North Korean diplomats and enterprises in other countries.
In addition to the inspection, any person or organization who buys a device must register it with the state within 10 days of purchase. If the equipment has not already been inspected prior to sale, it must also undergo inspection.
Devices that have been inspected will receive a radio-wave warranty (전파보증서) and then get an additional registration certificate (등록증서) upon registration. It is notable that the state requires owners to register their devices even if they have been inspected and cannot be used to access foreign information.
The type of certificate is not specified, but it is likely one of the small stickers that are commonly seen on North Korean electronics equipment. In some cases, these are placed to form a seal that is broken if someone attempts to open equipment to modify it.
Foreign Broadcasts and Networks
The revised law pays particular attention to televisions and radios. The North Korean state had long mandated that such devices be fixed to receive only state channels, making them incapable of tuning into broadcasts from overseas.
In addition to South Korean and Chinese domestic broadcasts, several organizations target North Korea with radio and television programming, and it is an important part of North Korea’s information control regime to prevent reception. Despite this, a substantial number of North Korean homes are understood to have secret televisions and radios that are able to access foreign broadcasts.
The 2023 revision includes a new provision, Article 14, that says organizations that sell, supply or repair radios and TVs now need permission from the agency and reception equipment such as TVs, digital TV converters and radios “must adopt anti-broadcasting blocking certification methods and undergo technical inspection before sale and supply.” Article 30 mandates such devices must be fixed so they can only receive state televisions and radio stations.
Wireless Networks
Another new addition to the law is a specific prohibition on using foreign wireless networks while on North Korean soil. Previously, approval was required to use or establish wireless or satellite communications networks.
The revised law adds “communication through other countries’ communication networks without approval within the territory of the Republic is not allowed.” This makes it an offense to use, for example, Chinese or South Korean cellular signals in the border areas or satellite communications networks.
Such networks, especially along the Chinese border, are one of the most important paths for information to illicitly flow into and out of the country. North Korean authorities already aggressively try to detect and jam these signals to prevent such access.
Jamming
One of the most interesting aspects of 2023 revision is its expanded reference to radio jamming. North Korea has long been known to operate a network of radio jammers to prevent citizens from accessing wireless networks and broadcasts from overseas, and this law is one of the few places that makes direct reference to that.
The law calls it “enemy broadcasting suppression equipment” (적 방송전파제압설비) and says the clearance and specifications for its use are issued by the radio wave supervision agency. This appears to be to ensure that jamming operations do not inadvertently disrupt domestic communications.
The 2015 version of the law referred to it as broadcast suppression equipment, (제압방송설비)—the addition of “enemy” on the front is new.
Penalties
Whereas the 2015 version threatened unspecified “administrative or criminal penalties,” the 2023 version goes deeper. It provides for a range of penalties. Individual fines for violating many of the basic provisions of the law are between 100,000 to 1 million North Korean won while organizations can be fined from 1 million to 15 million won.
In serious cases, the law provides for the imposition of up to three months of unpaid labor or punishment by labor education (로동교양처벌). This term refers to the practice of “re-education through labor” where prisoners are sent to labor camps and subjected to hard labor for the duration of their sentence.