North Korean-version OS “Red Star” is Public, up and Running
North Korean-version OS “Red Star” is Public, up and Running
  • Choi Sung
  • 승인 2010.06.03 09:39
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North Korean-version Windows, Red Star

Despite economic sanctions, including Western countries' ban on exports of advanced technology, North Korea is regarded as being equipped with independent technology power in the science technology sector as shown in its launch of intercontinental ballistic missile. However, North Korea has been shrouded in mystery in terms of software technology level.

Chosun Computer Center, a software development institution representing North Korea since 2006, mobilized IT experts from Kim Il-sung University and Kim Chaek University of Technology and launched a project for an independent development of a computer operating system (OS), called "Red Star." Recently, it made public the 2.0-version. The OS program, which was manufactured in two types for a server computer and personal computer and are being supplied to institutions and individuals.

The computer operating system Red Star, based on open SW Linux, is totally different from Microsoft's Windows but its outward appearance and use environment are similar to Windows. The Red Star operating system is an operating system revised to be suitable for a situation in North Korea based on the open-type of operating system, Linux, rather than the product North Korea developed independently. Various application software operating in Red Star are being offered as a package. It is optimized for low-end personal computers (PC) Pentium 4. It also demands a main memory unit of 128MB and a hard disk of over 2.5GB as minimum specifications. It comprises two CDs, including a package program. Like Windows, the operating system of MS, it supports graphic user environment and its overall composition is similar to that of Windows. Red Star is equipped with its own-manufactured programs supporting Windows98 and Windows2000 to make the use of application program for MS-Windows.

Red Star 2.0 chiefly used the Linux program "KDE(K Desktop Environment)" that offers graphic use environment like MS-Windows by utilizing open SW rather than developing independently. In addition, it independently developed some application programs, including "hangeul (Korean alphabet) supporting program," and MS-Windows support environment programa and integrated them to create North Korea's peculiar OS. In other words, it employed the merit of Linux that can be used free of charge and added functions indispensable for North Korea.

Especially noteworthy in analysis of application program is the Web browser "naenara." In reflection of North Korea's closed network characteristic, which operates separately from the Internet, "naenara BBS" was established as a basic search engine. Also there is an application program, called the "integrated office data processing program Uri," which is equivalent to Office of Microsoft.

North Korean-version Windows, Red Star

In the Office package, there are the word processor MS Word and the presentation programs Power Point. Likewise, in North Korea's Uri, there are such programs as document processing system Seogwang and brochures. It might be easy to think that most of these are similar environments to MS-Windows,  including power point, composition, use method and arrangement of colors, except some things.

Then why did North Korea not use general Windows and instead develop the open software Red Star It is because North Korea faced difficulty in acquiring advanced information technology from the global society so that it launched development of independent PC operation system. In particular, the MS-Windows system did not make public source code so that users cannot know the structure. Under the reality that new versions of Windows are being supplied persistently, North Korea faced difficulty in acquiring advanced computers or chips. Accordingly, it is almost impossible for North Korea to depend on MS-Windows or software. Another reason that it launched the independent development of operating system is the fact that it can control by itself while not depending on foreign company's information security systems.

The reason that North Korea paid attention to Linux in its research and development project in the computer operating system sector, not to Windows, is that, "hostile countries' policy to isolate North Korea has been applied to the information technology sector and Windows did not support computer's "chosun language" environment, so that North Korean people cannot operate a computer with existing Windows."

Meanwhile, using Linux is more economical than Windows. Linux, an operating system that has a new thought of a "product of free spirit," is Free Software to be developed and used freely. It was a fortunate chance for North Korea, which tried to develop an independent computer operating system without paying additional expenses, rather than MS-Windows, it had to pay a massive license cost. Considering North Korea's IT development strategy to achieve "short-term takeoff" in the IT sector through promotion of software, which requires a relatively small initial investment, accelerating Linux operation development was a necessary selection for North Korea.

North Korea reportedly produced mini computers with excellent function in the early stage of the 1980s and possessed a certain technology power for software development that could transplant domestically produced operating system into them. However, North Korea closed doors to the outside world in the IT sector so that it was impossible to develop new products that compete with "Windows" application products armed with powerful market competitiveness, which were produced outside in a golden age of Windows. Rather, North Korea seemed to make a judgment that entering the Linux market where heated competition is going on to hold initiative related to development and supply at an early stage and securing a superior position is realistic.

The most attractive thing of Linux is based on the "open source" spirit under which it makes public program sources and allows everyone to use them in their own environment, free of charge. Linux's spirit and philosophy of the times is the open source movement. Open refers to public ownership and sharing, opening and participation, Wiki's cooperation, opening to the public and standardization. In particular, as a standard of the SW field it should be made public, open SW should be developed as standards and take root.

North Korea has a number of talented people, secured Linux original technology and accumulated technology power. South and North Korea should be an open SW producer to the world by making the best use of not only Linux but also excellent open SW and developing them. North Korea's technology power to develop open SW (Linux) should lead to expansion of the scope of science and technology cooperation between South and North Korea.  The whole Korean peninsula should be a delivery room of open software, becoming a cornerstone for unification.

sstar@nsu.ac.kr

Professor Sung Choi. Dept. of Computer Science, Namseoul University


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