Red Star OS
| Company type | Operating system |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Korea Computer Center (KCC) |
| Headquarters | North Korea |
| Products | Linux distribution |
Red Star OS () is a North Korean Linux distribution created and maintained since 1998 by the Korea Computer Center (KCC).
Prior to the introduction of Red Star OS, computers in North Korea primarily operated on altered versions of Microsoft Windows that incorporated localized North Korean language support packs.
Browser
The operating system comes equipped with a modified iteration of Mozilla Firefox, known as the Naenara browser—meaning "Our country" in Korean—specifically developed to access the Naenara web portal hosted on North Korea's domestic intranet, Kwangmyong. This browser offers users access to two integrated search engines.
Other software
Red Star OS includes a suite of applications such as a text editor, an office productivity package, an e-mail client, multimedia players for audio and video, file sharing utilities, and various video games. Version 3 introduces Sogwang Office, a tailored adaptation of OpenOffice.
Specifications
The system utilizes customized editions of the KDE Software Compilation, with early releases based on KDE 3. In version 3, the compatibility tool Wine is incorporated to enable execution of Windows programs within the Linux environment.
While earlier iterations resembled the look and feel of Windows XP, version 3.0 adopts a visual style closely emulating that of Apple’s macOS. This redesign appears influenced by images of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un using an iMac in 2013.
The entire operating system is presented exclusively in Korean, featuring terminology and spelling conventions unique to North Korea; however, language settings can be modified through BIOS adjustments or by altering the ISO image.
Version 1.0/Beta
The first release appeared in 2008, bearing a strong resemblance to Windows XP.
Included was the Naenara browser, built upon Mozilla Firefox, alongside an office suite named "Uri 2.0," which was derived from Open Office. The package also contained Wine for running Windows applications.
A copy was leaked online, with official screenshots disseminated by KCNA and later reported by South Korean media outlets.
Version 2.0
Development commenced in March 2008 and concluded by June 2009. This edition maintained the Windows XP-inspired user interface and was sold at approximately 2000 North Korean won (around US$15).
The Naenara browser was bundled with this release, which officially launched on August 6, 2009, priced at roughly 4000 won (about US$28).
Notably, this version features a proprietary keyboard layout that differs from the standard used in South Korea.
Version 3.0
Released on April 15, 2012, version 3.0 introduces an interface reminiscent of macOS and provides compatibility with both IPv4 and IPv6 networking protocols.
Regulations
This operating system comes equipped with built-in monitoring applications designed to impose stringent user restrictions.
Efforts to deactivate security mechanisms result in error alerts or system crashes followed by automatic restarts.
A built-in watermarking feature embeds the hard drive’s serial number into all media files, allowing authorities to trace their distribution paths.
Covert antivirus software operates remotely to delete censored content as instructed by North Korean security agencies.
Although users do not have root privileges by default, they can gain elevated access through a native "rootsetting" tool.
Nevertheless, kernel-level modules limit root users from accessing certain files, with system integrity checks performed during startup to prevent unauthorized alterations.
This particular version was leaked by Zammis Clark, known as "SlipStream."
Version 4.0
Details about version 4.0 remain scarce.
According to The Pyongyang Times, by January 2019 an official release of Red Star OS 4.0 had been completed, incorporating comprehensive network capabilities and system management utilities.
In mid-2020, South Korea's NKEconomy acquired a copy of Red Star OS 4.0 and published evaluations noting its inclusion of Oracle VirtualBox, the Sogwang Office suite capable of handling Microsoft Word documents, Firefox as the standard web browser, and password management based on keychain technology.
Vulnerabilities
In 2016, the security company Hacker House discovered a flaw in Red Star OS’s integrated Naenara browser that permitted remote command execution through specially crafted URLs.
Media attention
In June 2006, the North Korea-affiliated Japan-based newspaper Choson Sinbo conducted interviews with Red Star OS developers. This material was later shared by English-language technology blogs such as Engadget and OSnews, along with South Korean news outlets like Yonhap.
Towards the end of 2013, Will Scott purchased Red Star OS 3.0 from a retailer in Pyongyang and publicly released screenshots online.
In 2015, researchers from Germany presented an analysis of the operating system’s internal workings at the Chaos Communication Congress. They highlighted that Red Star OS watermarks every file on removable media to monitor unauthorized sharing of foreign content via USB devices.