N. Korea's 'Red Star' operating system focused on security: think tank

SEOUL, April 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's new "Red Star" computer operating system
is mainly designed to control the flow of information on the Internet tapped by
users, a review by a state-run think tank said Monday.
The Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI) said a detailed technical
analysis of Red Star version 1.1 shows it is a Linux-based operating system with
low-end options similar to those found in products that reached the market in the
early 2000s.
It added that while it is similar to the ubiquitous Windows OS, emphasis has been
placed on meeting security and other local requirements. There is only one
Korean-language version of the system and due to the limited number of compatible
applications there is little likelihood of its being put to wider use.
STEPI's study is the first technical analysis of the Red Star OS that was first
developed in 2002 by the North's Korea Computer Center. Prior to its
introduction, Pyongyang used the English versions of Microsoft Windows.
A Russian student in Pyongyang recently purchased an updated version of the Red
Star and introduced it on his blog, though this was not a specialized review.
"The review was needed to get an estimate of how far North Korea's OS software
has progressed," the STEPI report said. It added that Red Star represents North
Korea's attempt to overcome the country's isolation in the computer field while
at the same time coping with security concerns.
The communist country maintains close tabs on information and data into and out
of the country and does not permit its people to freely surf the World Wide Web,
with particular emphasis on prohibiting visits to South Korean Internet sites.
The institute under the education and science ministry said there is almost no
political content and that developers have continuously updated the Red Star OS
over the years.
The institute, meanwhile, said that South Korea could engage in cooperation with
North Korean software developers through contacts with offices they maintain in
China.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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