Martyn Williams: How digital tech strengthens North Korean state control

North Korea media and tech specialist Martyn Williams joins this week’s episode to discuss his trips to the inter-Korean border with NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll, which have explored how technology is reshaping control and communication in the DPRK. The conversation covers smartphones and digital infrastructure inside North Korea, including how mobile technology has expanded rapidly since the pandemic. He discusses the growing number of domestic smartphone brands, hundreds of state-approved apps and the broader 4G rollout across much of the country.  Williams also examines a North Korean health app offering telemedicine features and medicine delivery, illustrating how digital tools serve both convenience and surveillance. Martyn Williams is a senior fellow for the Stimson Center’s Korea Program and 38 North. His primary interests are in North Korea’s technology, infrastructure, broadcasting system and propaganda. He previously appeared on episode 149 of the NK News podcast. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.