--- title: "North Korean Soldiers Deployed to Ukraine Reportedly “Gorging” on Uncensored Internet’s Porn" description: "North Korean soldiers are reportedly \"gorging\" on online pornography on the frontlines in Russia." date: "2024-11-05" modified: "2024-11-05" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/north-korean-soldiers-ukraine-gorging-uncensored-porn" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "north korea" - "pornography" - "Russia" - "the digest" - "ukraine" --- # North Korean Soldiers Deployed to Ukraine Reportedly “Gorging” on Uncensored Internet’s Porn ![North Korean soldiers are reportedly "gorging" on online pornography on the frontlines in Russia.]() *\Image: ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images\* ## Skin in the Game The Pentagon confirmed earlier today that roughly 10,000 North Korean troops have made their way to Russia, and massing near Ukraine's border and [marking the first time]() North Korea has waged a major war since the early 1950s. The unusual alliance gives the soldiers, who are thought to be in their teens or early 20s, an unprecedented glimpse at what it's like to live in the 21st century — including access to a world wide web that isn't [hampered by notoriously strict restrictions]() and doesn't require special authorization or constant monitoring by government agents. According to one of *Financial Times* chief foreign affairs commentator Gideon Rachman's sources, the lads are making the most of their brief and dangerous stint abroad. "A usually reliable source tells me that the North Korean soldiers who have deployed to Russia have never had unfettered access to the internet before," Rachman [tweeted](). "As a result, they are gorging on pornography." ## Open Season North Korea's internet is famous for being extremely locked down. Even accessing the web is largely reserved for those able to secure the required authorization. According to a 2016 investigation by security engineer Matt Bryant, North Koreans [could only access 28 different websites]() at the time, most of which were state propaganda and news about Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un. (It's unclear whether that number has changed over the last eight years.) So it's safe to say the troops had an extremely hard time accessing porn — if it was even on their radar. But the North Korean soldiers won't have access to *all* the porn the internet has to offer. In 2015, Russia [implemented sweeping bans]() on the world's largest porn websites, [including PornHub and YouPorn](). In 2021, Russia's online content regulator [proposed limiting access]() to all porn by locking it behind state-run services under the guise of wanting to protect children. There's a small chance the soldiers may also get a glimpse of independent news while perusing porn online. In 2022, Ukrainian digital marketing company Baydachenko [started buying ad space across Russian websites]() to link Russians to independent news sources and teach them about what was really going on. The agency eventually resorted to running these ads on largely unmoderated Russian porn sites, making it an effective counterpropaganda operation. **More on North Korea:** *[Security Firm Alarmed to Discover Their Remote Employee Is a North Korean Hacker]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()