What's blocked in North Korea
Ordinary citizens have no access to the global internet at all, only the state intranet Kwangmyong.
- WhatsApp: Blocked
- Voice & video calls: Blocked
- Telegram: Blocked
- Signal: Blocked
- Discord: Blocked
- Facebook: Blocked
- Instagram: Blocked
- X (Twitter): Blocked
- TikTok: Blocked
- YouTube: Blocked
- Google: Blocked
- Works
- Age-gated
- Partly blocked
- Slowed down
- Blocked
App by app
| App | Status | Since | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blocked | |||
| Voice & video calls | Blocked | WhatsApp, FaceTime, Signal and Telegram calls | |
| Telegram | Blocked | ||
| Signal | Blocked | ||
| Discord | Blocked | ||
| Messenger | Blocked | 2016 | Follows the Facebook block. |
| Viber | Blocked | ||
| Blocked | |||
| imo | Blocked | ||
| Blocked | 2016 | ||
| Blocked | |||
| X (Twitter) | Blocked | 2016 | |
| TikTok | Blocked | ||
| YouTube | Blocked | ||
| Snapchat | Blocked | ||
| Blocked | |||
| Threads | Blocked | Follows the Instagram block. | |
| Bluesky | Blocked | ||
| Blocked | |||
| Blocked | |||
| RedNote (Xiaohongshu) | Blocked | ||
| Twitch | Blocked | ||
| Roblox | Blocked | ||
| Fortnite | Blocked | ||
| PUBG Mobile | Blocked | ||
| Free Fire | Blocked | ||
| Steam | Blocked | ||
| Blocked | |||
| ChatGPT | Blocked | ||
| DeepSeek | Blocked | ||
| Wikipedia | Blocked | ||
| Binance | Blocked |
Not offered in North Korea
These companies don't sell their service here. That's a business or sanctions decision, not government censorship.
The 3 VPNs that fit North Korea
Our assessment, plus what visitors in North Korea are reporting this week.
Picked for heavy censorship: each can disguise VPN traffic.
VPN use is illegal or effectively banned in North Korea. Unauthorised access to foreign information carries severe penalties. We do not recommend attempting it.
ExpressVPN
Doesn't connectNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Switch to automatic obfuscation (protocol set to Automatic) before connecting.
NordVPN
Doesn't connectNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Switch to NordWhisper or obfuscated servers before connecting.
Surfshark
Doesn't connectNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Switch to NoBorders mode before connecting.
Not sure about these three? See 3 more VPNs Proton VPN, Private Internet Access and CyberGhost
Proton VPN
Doesn't connectNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Switch to the Stealth protocol before connecting.
Private Internet Access
Doesn't connectNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Switch to the Shadowsocks proxy option before connecting.
CyberGhost
Doesn't connectNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Switch to a nearby server (CyberGhost has no stealth mode) before connecting.
We earn a commission if you buy a VPN through our links. It never changes what we report as blocked. How we pick and how we make money
What's going on
North Korea is the one country where the question is not which apps are blocked but whether the internet exists. A few thousand officials have international access; everyone else uses a closed national intranet. Foreign visitors on tours generally have no usable internet.
Before you connect: No consumer VPN is usable here. If you are travelling on an organised tour, plan to be offline.
Is a VPN legal in North Korea?
Illegal or effectively banned
Unauthorised access to foreign information carries severe penalties. We do not recommend attempting it.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Which apps are blocked in North Korea?
Yes. WhatsApp, Voice & video calls, Telegram, Signal, Discord, Messenger, Viber, WeChat and 24 more are blocked in North Korea.
Can I make WhatsApp calls in North Korea?
Voice and video calls are blocked in North Korea. Text messaging is not affected in the same way.
Which streaming and online services are not available in North Korea?
Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, JioHotstar, Spotify and 1 more are not offered in North Korea. That is the companies' decision, often because of licensing or sanctions.
Is it legal to use a VPN in North Korea?
Illegal or effectively banned. Unauthorised access to foreign information carries severe penalties. We do not recommend attempting it.
Which VPN works in North Korea?
Our picks for North Korea are ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark. Connections are unreliable here, so switch on each one's anti-censorship mode: ExpressVPN (use automatic obfuscation (protocol set to Automatic)), NordVPN (use NordWhisper or obfuscated servers) and Surfshark (use NoBorders mode). Check the live votes on this page for this week's results.
Will a VPN work during an internet shutdown in North Korea?
No. A VPN can get around blocks on specific apps and sites, but during a full shutdown there is no connection to the outside world for the VPN to use.
Report a block
Seeing something different in North Korea? An editor reviews every report before the page changes.