Is HBO Max available in North Korea?
No. HBO Max is not offered in North Korea.
This is not government censorship. HBO Max has chosen not to offer its service in North Korea, usually because of licensing or sanctions. HBO Max reached over 100 countries in 2026 but is still missing in Canada, India, Japan, South Korea and most of Africa and the Middle East, where HBO shows go to local partners.
The 3 VPNs that fit HBO Max in North Korea
Votes come from visitors in North Korea over the last 14 days.
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.
Proton VPN
Doesn't connectNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Switch to the Stealth protocol before connecting.
Not sure about these three? See 3 more VPNs Surfshark, Private Internet Access and CyberGhost
Surfshark
Doesn't connectNot enough votes yet. Tested it here? Tell others below.
Switch to NoBorders mode 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.
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The bigger picture in North Korea
Ordinary citizens have no access to the global internet at all, only the state intranet Kwangmyong.
Before you connect: No consumer VPN is usable here. If you are travelling on an organised tour, plan to be offline.
Everything blocked in North Korea · Where is HBO Max available?
Questions people ask
Is HBO Max available in North Korea?
HBO Max is not offered in North Korea.
Can I use HBO Max in North Korea with a VPN?
HBO Max reached over 100 countries in 2026 but is still missing in Canada, India, Japan, South Korea and most of Africa and the Middle East, where HBO shows go to local partners.
Is using a VPN legal in North Korea?
Illegal or effectively banned. Unauthorised access to foreign information carries severe penalties. We do not recommend attempting it.
Seeing something different? Report it on the North Korea page.