Introduced 2007 Sponsor Star Joint Venture | Status Active | |
TLD type Country code top-level domain Intended use Entities connected with
North Korea Actual use Used mainly by government | ||
.kp is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) of North Korea. It was created on 24 September 2007. As of 2016, there are 28 subdomains registered under .kp domains.
Contents
Usage
As of 2016, eight .kp top level domains and 29 domains are registered. These are as follows:
Previously, the .kp domain was managed by KCC Europe. A large number of .kp websites were also hosted by KCC Europe in Germany. However, as of 2012, management has been transferred to the Pyongyang-based Star Joint Venture.
Some .kp addresses are used by the North Korean Intranet only.
Internet in North Korea
Access to the internet in North Korea remains rare and tightly restricted; Reporters Without Borders once described the nation as "the world’s worst Internet black hole" as the "Internet officially does not exist in the world’s most isolated country, but a handful of privileged people are allowed to go online through the phone system (which is routed through China) or via satellite." According to former leader Kim Jong-Il, "I'm an Internet expert too. It's all right to wire the industrial zone only, but there are many problems if other regions of the North are wired."
On 9 October 2010, in conjunction with its 65th anniversary of independence, the DPRK made a block of IP addresses available for use within the country. Hosting of sites and general access was provided by China Netcom. This allowed for Net access to journalists reporting on the anniversary celebrations.
As of February 2013, foreigners can access the internet using a 3G phone network installed by Orascom, but access to this network for North Korean citizens is limited to phone calls.
Censorship of North Korean websites
South Korea has banned at least 31 sites considered sympathetic to North Korea through the use of IP blocking.