Red Star OS Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Red Star OS
붉은별 사용자용체계

Screenshot of the desktop of Red Star OS 3.0, localized with North Korean terminology and spelling
Company / developer	Korea Computer Center, North Korea
OS family	Linux (desktop and server), Android (on Woolim, Arirang, Samjiyon, Manbang, Jindallae and Ryonghung)
Working state	Current
Source model	Closed-source Some components are free and open-source
Latest stable release	4.0
Marketing target	Personal computers
Available language(s)	Korean
Supported platforms	IA-32, x86-64 (server only), ARM (mobile and tablet only)
Kernel type	Monolithic forked from (Linux kernel)
Influenced by	Fedora Linux (desktop), CentOS (Server), Android (mobile and tablet)
Default user interface	KDE
License	GPL (Linux kernel and other GNU software only), Proprietary

Red Star OS (Chosŏn'gŭl: 붉은별; MR: Pulgŭnbyŏl) is a special computer operating system made in North Korea. It's based on Linux, which is a type of computer software. Development of Red Star OS started in 1998 at the Korea Computer Center (KCC).

Before Red Star OS, computers in North Korea often used Red Hat Linux. Later, they used changed versions of Microsoft Windows with Korean language packs.

Version 3.0 of Red Star OS came out in 2013. However, as of 2014, an older version (1.0) was still used more widely. This operating system is only available in the Korean language. It uses special North Korean words and spellings.

What Can Red Star OS Do?
How Red Star OS Got Noticed
Red Star OS Through the Years
Security Issues
Images for kids
See also

What Can Red Star OS Do?

Red Star OS has its own web browser called Naenara. This means "My country" in Korean. You can use it to look at the Naenara web portal on North Korea's special internet, called Kwangmyong. The Naenara browser even has two search engines built-in.

Other programs on Red Star OS include:

a text editor for writing
an office suite for documents and spreadsheets
an e-mail client for sending messages
audio and video players for music and movies
a file sharing program
some video games

Version 3 of Red Star OS, like older versions, uses a tool called Wine. Wine helps the system run programs made for Microsoft Windows.

The operating system uses special versions of KDE Software Compilation. Older versions had desktops based on KDE 3. Version 3.0 looks a lot like Apple's macOS. This is different from earlier versions, which looked more like Windows XP. Some people think this change happened because North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was seen with an iMac computer in 2013.

System requirements
	Requirements
Red Star OS
CPU	800 MHz Intel Pentium III
Memory	256 MB
Free space	3 GB

How Red Star OS Got Noticed

Built-in games in Version 2.0 of Red Star OS, including versions of Atomix and Minesweeper.

In 2006, a newspaper in Japan interviewed two programmers who worked on Red Star OS. Later, technology websites and news agencies shared this information.

In 2013, a visitor to North Korea bought a copy of version 3. He then shared pictures of the system online.

In 2015, some researchers found out more about how Red Star OS works. The North Korean government wants to keep track of files shared on USB flash drives. So, the system adds a hidden mark (like a watermark) to all files on portable storage devices. This helps them trace where files come from.

Red Star OS Through the Years

Version 1.0/Beta: The Start

The boot-up splash screen of Red Star 1.0

Desktop of Red Star 1.0 and the default file manager

The first version of Red Star OS came out in 2008. It looked very similar to the Windows XP operating system.

This version included the "Naenara" web browser, which was based on Mozilla Firefox. It also had an office suite called "Uri 2.0," based on Open Office. The Wine program was also part of this version.

A copy of this version was shared online. Pictures of the operating system were also officially published by North Korean news.

Version 2.0: Updates and Cost

Desktop of Red Star 2.0

Work on version 2.0 started in March 2008 and finished in June 2009. Like the first version, it looked like Windows XP. It cost about 2000 North Korean won (around US$15).

The "Naenara" internet browser was also in this version. It came out in August 2009 as part of the system.

This operating system uses a special keyboard layout. It is quite different from the standard keyboard used in South Korea.

Version 3.0: New Look and Security

Utility to obtain root privileges in Red Star OS 3

Sogwang office (customized OpenOffice) in Red Star OS 3

Version 3.0 was introduced in April 2012. Its design looks like macOS operating systems. This new version can use both older and newer internet addresses (IPv4 and IPv6).

Red Star OS 3.0 comes with programs that keep an eye on users. If someone tries to turn off security features, an error message appears, or the system might crash and restart. Also, a special tool marks all media content with the computer's serial number. This helps authorities track files.

The system also has hidden "antivirus" software. This software can remove files that are not allowed, which are stored remotely by North Korean authorities. Users can gain "administrator" access, but some important files are still protected. The system also checks itself when it starts to make sure files haven't been changed.

Red Star OS 3 includes a special version of OpenOffice called Sogwang Office.

Version 4.0: The Latest

Not much information is publicly known about version 4.0.

According to The Pyongyang Times, an official newspaper, Red Star OS 4.0 was developed by January 2019. It has full network support and tools for managing the system.

In 2020, a South Korean news source got a copy of Red Star OS 4.0 and wrote articles about it.

Some information suggests that version 4.0 might have a password management app, but details are unclear.

Security Issues

In 2016, a computer security company found a problem in the Naenara web browser. This problem could allow someone to run commands on the computer if a user clicked on a specially made link.