Telephone numbers in North Korea
Location
CountryNorth Korea
ContinentAsia
Access codes
Country code+850
International access00 or 99
Long-distance0

Telephone numbers in North Korea are regulated by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications.

Area codes

This is the official list as registered with ITU-T in 2011.

List of allocations in 2011[1]
Area code Length of customer number City Province
2 11 Unknown Pyongyang Pyongyang
2 12 Unknown Pyongyang Pyongyang
2 18 3 digits Pyongyang Pyongyang
2 381 4 digits Pyongyang Pyongyang
2 771 4 digits Pyongyang Pyongyang
2 772 4 digits Pyongyang Pyongyang
2 880 13 digits Pyongyang Pyongyang
2 881 13 digits Pyongyang Pyongyang
2 882 13 digits Pyongyang Pyongyang
2 883 13 digits Pyongyang Pyongyang
2 885 13 digits Pyongyang Pyongyang
195 7 digits Pyongyang Pyongyang
31 6 digits Pyongsong South Phyongan
39 6 digits Nampo Nampo
41 6 digits Sariwon North Hwanghae
43 Unknown Songnim North Hwanghae
45 6 digits Haeju South Hwanghae
49 6 digits Kaesong North Hwanghae
53 6 digits Hamhung South Hamgyong
57 6 digits Wonsan Kangwon
61 6 digits Sinuiju North Phyongan
67 6 digits Kanggye Jagang
73 6 digits Chongjin North Hamgyong
79 6 digits Hyesan Ryanggang
85 29 4 digits Rason Rason
86 Unknown Sonbong Rason
29 4 digits Rajin Rason

Mobile networks

Number lengths

Location Area code Subscriber number NSN length
Pyongyang (capital city) 2 digits (02) 7 digits 8 digits
Rason Economic Special Zone 3 digits (085) 6 digits 8 digits
Mobiles 4 digits (019X) 7 digits 10 digits

Little is known about phone numbers in the rest of the country, as phone numbers outside Pyongyang and Rason are not able to be dialled from overseas and are hence not advertised in any overseas publications.

International dialing

Overseas callers to North Korea will usually need to go through the international operator service on +850 2 18111. A select few numbers (mostly fax numbers) are able to be dialled directly, without operator assistance.

Phone numbers in Pyongyang which can call internationally and which can receive calls internationally always begin with 381 in the local number, e.g. +850 2 381 xxxx.[2] These numbers cannot be dialled domestically and cannot make calls domestically, so usually an organisation with international connectivity will have a 381 international number and a 382 domestic number. For example, the British Embassy in Pyongyang can be dialled as +850 2 381 7980 internationally and 02 382 7980 domestically.[3] 381 numbers can, however, call other 381 numbers domestically.[2]

Many North Koreans smuggle in mobile phones from China and use them near the border where they can take advantage of Chinese mobile networks that work there. The North Korean government has cracked down on illegal phones by deploying surveillance and jamming devices.[4]

Many lines in the Rason Special Economic Zone can also be direct-dialled from outside the country, as many foreign companies (mostly Chinese and Russian) are active in the region.

Calls between North Korea and South Korea are banned,[5] except to or from the Kaesong Industrial Region.

References

  1. ^ "Dem. People's Rep. of Korea". itu.int. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  2. ^ a b Bradt travel guide to North Korea
  3. ^ "Worldwide organisations". fco.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  4. ^ "International Phone Calls Are Illegal In North Korea". Global Call Forwarding. 6 September 2017. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  5. ^ "North Korea's tentative telecoms". Asia Times. 6 July 2002. Archived from the original on 4 August 2002. Retrieved 20 September 2015.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

External links

Telephone numbers in Asia
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