As North Korea sends soldiers to support Russia in the Russo-Ukrainian war, an interesting story about the living conditions of these soldiers in Russia has emerged. Rahman, the chief foreign affairs columnist of the Financial Times, recently posted on the social platform X (formerly known as Twitter) that North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia have been given "freedom to access the Internet" for the first time and were found to be browsing a large number of adult websites. This news spread quickly on the Internet, sparking curiosity about the online behavior and living conditions of North Korean soldiers.

The first "Internet lifting of the ban": rumors that soldiers are addicted to browsing adult content

Rahman posted on social media that North Korean soldiers' Internet use in Russia is unrestricted. This is the first time they have been able to freely access external networks, and as a result, a large number of soldiers are addicted to browsing pornographic content. Although he did not specify the source of the information, only saying that the news was "reliable", the rumor spread rapidly on social networks, and the post has been read more than 35 million times, sparking widespread discussion from the outside world.

In North Korea, ordinary people's Internet access is almost completely blocked. According to a 2016 CNBC survey, North Korean netizens can only access 28 officially approved websites, most of which are government propaganda, news about national leaders or domestic news. North Korea's Internet is strictly controlled, and the public has almost no access to the global network except for a few senior officials and special classes. Therefore, the rumor that North Korean soldiers experienced "Internet freedom" in Russia is even more eye-catching.

Pentagon response: No way to confirm, but more concerned about North Korea's military participation

The Pentagon also responded to the news about North Korean soldiers' online behavior. US Department of Defense spokesman Dietz said that it was impossible to confirm the Internet habits of North Korean soldiers or their "virtual extracurricular activities" in Russia. He pointed out that the focus of the US side is whether North Korea is really involved in the Russian-Ukrainian military operation. He emphasized that the current focus of the Pentagon is to continue to support Ukraine and deal with more important regional security issues. Regarding the issue of North Korean soldiers' Internet access, Dietz suggested that the media ask Russia for further information.

North Korea sends troops to support the Russian army: the number and deployment attract attention

Ukrainian military intelligence pointed out that North Korea is expected to send more than 10,000 soldiers to Russia to participate in the Russian-Ukrainian war. As early as November 2, Ukraine revealed that more than 7,000 North Korean soldiers equipped with Russian weapons had been transported to areas close to Ukraine, such as Kursk Oblast in Russia. Intelligence said that these North Korean soldiers received rigorous military training in the Russian Far East and were equipped with Russian-made weapons to assist Russia's war operations.

In his speech, Ukrainian President Zelensky confirmed that the Ukrainian army had exchanged fire with North Korean soldiers. He also called on the international community to pay attention to North Korea's military participation in the Russian-Ukrainian war and to assist Ukraine in resisting the intervention of foreign forces. The participation of North Korean soldiers not only added complexity to the Russian-Ukrainian war, but also made the international community re-examine North Korea's diplomatic and military strategies.

The contrast between North Korea's Internet blockade and soldiers' Internet behavior

For a long time, North Korea's Internet blockade policy has been unique in the world, and only a few North Korean senior officials have the privilege of accessing the outside world. Ordinary North Koreans can only obtain information through web pages censored by 28 countries on a daily basis, and the content of the network is full of state propaganda. Many foreign observers believe that North Korea's Internet control is aimed at ensuring the purity of the country's ideology and preventing external information from impacting society. For these North Korean soldiers sent to Russia, gaining "Internet freedom" is an unprecedented experience, which also reflects the particularity of North Korean soldiers' lives and psychological state in an overseas environment.

The rumors of North Korean soldiers' free access to the Internet not only reveal another side of these soldiers' lives, but also reflect the severity of North Korea's Internet blockade and the soldiers' curiosity about the outside world. Some analysts believe that soldiers who have been isolated from the outside world for a long time are likely to show great interest in adult content when they first come into contact with the global network, and this behavior is reasonable.

North Korean soldiers' overseas experience highlights the contradiction between information control and globalization

The rumors of North Korean soldiers' Internet behavior in Russia have triggered reflection and attention from the outside world on North Korea's information blockade policy. The rumors of "Internet freedom" have made people see the huge contrast between the Internet blockade policy and the global information flow. For these soldiers, the opening of the Internet is not only a "shock" of information contact, but also makes people realize the closed status of North Korean society in the era of globalized information.

In the future, the specific performance of North Korean soldiers in the Russia-Ukraine war and their contact with the global network may further affect their cognition and behavior. The contradiction between information closure and Internet freedom in the era of globalization will continue to test the ability of North Korean soldiers to adapt to the external environment, and also trigger further attention from the outside world to North Korea's Internet policy.