Special to WorldTribune.com

By Lee Jong-Heon, EastAsiaIntel.com

SEOUL — High-end U.S. and South Korean smartphones are penetrating North Korea, contributing to new and rapid information flows in the tightly-controlled society that could threaten the decades-long dictatorships, according to sources and reports here.

U.S. Apple Inc.’s iconic iPhone and South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy smartphones are increasingly popular among ruling elite members and wealthy market merchants, according to South Korea’s top newspaper Chosun Ilbo in a report on Nov. 8.

Two out of ten merchants possess foreign-made smartphones, such as iPhone and Galaxy which are used to show off their wealth and power, the daily said, citing sources inside North Korea.

Last year, North Korea unveiled what it says was domestically-produced smartphones, named “Arirang” and “Pyongyang Touch,” which are believed manufactured in China.

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