North Korean troops are ‘hooked on PORN’ after being allowed ‘unfettered access’ to the internet for the first time while fighting for Russia

Thousands of soldiers from North Korea have been sent to Russia to help Vladimir Putin’s army in its fight against Ukraine.

But before Kim Jong Un’s forces move to the front lines to face Kiev’s forces, it appears they will first have to face another enemy – one with which we in the developed world are all too familiar .

The attributes of the Internet.

A shocking report by Financial Times columnist Gideon Rachman revealed that Kim Jong Un’s troops were “indulging in pornography” in their barracks and had never enjoyed such unrestricted access to the internet, according to a “usually reliable source”.

Just as the arrival of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites changed the lives of tribes deep in the Amazon rainforest almost overnight — many say the worst — Pyongyang’s military personnel were reportedly immediately hooked.

Defense Department spokesman Major Charlie Dietz said he could not verify “any North Korean Internet habits or virtual” extracurricular activities in Russia.

“As for internet access, that’s a question best addressed to Moscow,” Dietz said.

“Right now, our focus remains on supporting Ukraine and addressing the larger regional security challenges,” he concluded, displaying a high level of professionalism and a noticeable lack of humor.

While full internet access is available to senior officials and military figures in North Korea, the majority of citizens only get access to Kwangmyong or the “bright star” network.

This is the pariah state’s only sanctioned web service and is a heavily firewalled and restricted version of the Internet that does not allow access to foreign websites, media or news services and is instead full of state propaganda.

Russia’s state media and communications regulator Roskomnadzor also maintains a system for regulating internet traffic known as TSPU, which was formalized in 2019 and requires Russian internet service providers to ensure government-supplied equipment is installed in their networks.

But virtual private networks (VPNs) – tools that allow Internet users to encrypt their data and mask their IP addresses to access sites abroad – have not yet been banned and are widely used to circumvent censorship.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Russia plans to invest nearly 60 billion rubles ($660 million) over the next five years to expand the TSPU’s mission and give it additional capabilities, as the Kremlin continues to push the narrative surrounding the war in Ukraine wants to further shape.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said earlier this week that Kyiv’s armed forces had clashed with North Korean forces for the first time, as Kim Jong Un’s soldiers fought alongside their Russian counterparts to repel the Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region .

In an interview with South Korean broadcaster KBS, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reported that his forces had attacked a “small group” of North Korean soldiers just across the Russian border.

His claims were supported by US officials who confirmed to Reuters on November 4 that North Korean forces were actively involved in fighting in Russia’s Kursk region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the lack of Western response to North Korea’s involvement, noting that these “first battles with North Korea open a new chapter of instability in the world.”

The alarm was first raised by Ukrainian and South Korean intelligence services, which reported that a contingent of up to 11,000 North Korean soldiers had arrived in Russia and undergone training.

Images of the troops on the battlefield have yet to emerge, but clips claiming Pyongyang’s soldiers are in training camps in Russia have been widely circulated online.

Russian soldiers captured in Kursk were also recorded telling their captors of the difficulties they had encountered in communicating with the North Koreans, adding that some units had suffered friendly fire.

In one clip, a haggard POW says his unit found itself in a forest with ten North Korean soldiers after being sent to dig trenches when they were caught in a crossfire.

“During the attack, the Koreans started shooting at us,” he explained.

“We tried to explain to them where to aim, but I think they shot two of us.”

“I decided that in this situation it was better to surrender than to be killed by our own bullet,” the soldier said.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui promised last week during a visit to Moscow that the so-called Hermit Kingdom would support Russia until its victory in Ukraine.

US intelligence said last week that some North Korean troops were already moving towards the Kursk border area, with Washington and Seoul warning North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to withdraw his forces.

“We will always resolutely support our Russian comrades until the day of victory,” Choe said in Moscow after talks with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

She said North Korea had no doubts about the “wise leadership” of President Vladimir Putin, who signed a mutual aid treaty with Pyongyang this summer and greatly boosted ties with the reclusive state.

Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow has denied reports that North Korean soldiers fought Ukrainian forces.

Lavrov, however, praised the “very close ties” between the two countries’ “armies and special services.”

“This will also make it possible to achieve important security goals for our citizens and yours,” he added, without giving details.

Lavrov said Russia was “deeply grateful” for North Korea’s “principled stance” toward Ukraine.