(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/02/pyoinsta.jpg) (http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/north-korea-3g-tourists-cut/)
It was just a month ago that North Korea (http://www.engadget.com/tag/NorthKorea/) started allowing mobile internet access to visitors (http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/22/north-korea-visitors-mobile-internet-access-3g/) (while still restricting it from citizens), but now a tour group says that program has ended. First reported by North Korea Tech, a post on the Koryo Group site indicates that tourists can still purchase SIM cards for international calling, but internet access is not available, a return to its policy from January (http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/21/north-korea-allows-tourists-to-rent-phones-or-sim-cards/). A recent blog post from the 22nd goes into more detail, explaining that 3G Koryolink (http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/23/north-korea-gets-3g/) access for foreigners "has been restricted to long term visitors/residents of Pyongyang only." With no word from the government on the policy change you'll have to insert your own reasoning, although we imagine Eric Schmidt is not pleased (http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/10/eric-schmidt-suggests-internet-for-north-korea/).
[Image credit: Jean Lee, Instagram (http://instagram.com/p/WJmOUxOCkb/)]
Filed under: Internet (http://www.engadget.com/category/internet/), Mobile (http://www.engadget.com/category/mobile/)
Comments (http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/north-korea-3g-tourists-cut/#comments)
Via: TechCrunch (http://techcrunch.com/?p=786207), North Korea Tech (http://www.northkoreatech.org/2013/03/27/mobile-internet-service-reportedly-stopped-for-tourists/), Tech in Asia (http://www.techinasia.com/3g-north-korea-tourists/)
Source: Koryo Group (1) (http://www.koryogroup.com/), (2) (http://koryogroup.com/blog/?p=1424)
Via: Engadget