Computer and Program Technology (콤퓨터와 프로그람기술 / Kompyuto wa Puroguram Kisul)

Computer and Program Technology
콤퓨터와 프로그람기술 / Kompyuto wa Puroguram Kisul
Translation and backgrounder by Stephen Mercado

A bimonthly journal of science and technology related to computers and computer programming, published by the Central Information Agency for Science and Technology.

Journal Title: The journal title has various renderings. Computer and Program Technology is the name in English. Its name in a simplified version of the standard McCune-Reischauer (M-R) transliteration system and the actual title in Korean are listed above. Its full M-R transliteration, as used in catalogs of the Library of Congress and other major libraries, is K’ŏmp’yut’ŏ wa p’ŭrogŭram kisul.

Author Information: In issues prior to issue 6, 2015, research papers often showed affiliations, academic degrees, and titles along with author names. More recent issues show only the author names. Affiliations include such prominent institutions as Kim Chaek University of Technology, Kim Il Sung University and the University of Science, along with lesser-known organizations such as the State Academy of Sciences (SAS) Library and the Urban Management Special School.

Subject Matter: The articles have to do with the developments in computer and programming in such areas as computer engineering, information technology and software engineering.

References: Authors publishing in this journal tend to cite domestic, Chinese and Western monographs and journal articles. Domestic citations include the journal 과학기술발전문제연구소학보 [Journal of the Science and Technology Development Institute] and the Science and Technology Publishing House’s monograph 인공신경망실용기술 [Artificial Neural Network Practical Technology] (2010). Cited Chinese journals include 计算机工程与应用 (Computer Engineering and Applications) and 计算机技术与发展 (Computer Technology and Development). Western sources include the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)‘s Signal Processing Magazine, the Journal of Information Hiding and Multimedia Signal Processing and the Journal of Process Control.

Sections: Each issue comprises the front cover; an unnumbered page with a framed quotation of one of the three generations of the Kim family; a table of contents (TOC) in Korean; articles; publishing information; and the back cover. Regime messages/propaganda appear throughout the journal.

The TOC starts with the section “Research Papers” (연구론문). Various sections follow, which can change from one issue of the journal to another. These other sections include “Technical Data” (기술 자료), “Special Feature” (특집) and “Trends and Tendencies” (추세및 동향).

Publisher: The publisher’s name in English is the Central Information Agency for Science and Technology (CIAST), also known as the Central Scientific and Technological Information Agency (CSTIA). It is the Chungang Kwahak Kisul Tongbosa in simplified M-R and 중앙과학기술통보사 in Korean. The publisher’s name appears in Korean on the front cover. The two English versions of the name appear in various North Korean media. The publisher’s name appears in Korean on the journal’s cover and on the information page.

The publisher publishes an issue every other month, starting in January, for a total of six issues per year. According to the TOC and publishing information page, issue 4 (August), 2022 was cumulative issue number 155. The publishing information page also indicated that there was an editorial committee (no members named), the publisher was the Central Information Agency for Science and Technology, the place of printing was the Moranbong Printing Plant, the date of printing was 6 August Juche 111 (2022), and the date of issue was 15 August Juche 111 (2022). There was no copyright information, periodical publication number or International Standard Serial Number (ISSN). Unlike Kisul Hyoksin, another CIAST publication, the journal had no ISSN or bar code on the back cover. The publishing information has shown changes over time; for example, in Issue 1, 2015—the earliest issue available— the place of printing was the Pyongyang General Printing Plant, and the information page showed no mailing address or telephone number.