Obtaining current or recent information from within North Korea is an enormous challenge for the US and its allies in the region. Cellular technology and the Internet, however, have brought about new opportunities to gain access to the reclusive North.
The report about North Korea’s devaluation of its currency was first reported by a Seoul-based Internet news service called the Daily NK on November 30, 2009. This report, which made headlines around the world and was later confirmed by the South Korean government officials, had far-reaching implications. The Daily NK is one of six news outlets that have emerged in recent years specializing in collecting information from North Korea. All of these outlets have North Korean defectors as their employees and all reportedly cultivate sources inside North Korea, a country with near-total media blackout.
The information provided in the reports of these “cottage-industry” outlets are sketchy at best. They cover small pockets of the North Korean society, largely remain unconfirmed, and many are proven wrong. However, they have also produced important tips and clues - such as the currency devaluation and a recent outbreak of H1N1 flu in North Korea. Today, the traditional media outlets of South Korea regularly quote these atypical news services.
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