Korea Computer Center

{{Short description|North Korean government information technology research center}}

{{Update|date=January 2016}}__NOTOC__

{{Infobox company

| name =

| logo = Korea Computer Center.svg

| logo_caption =

| logo_upright =

| logo_alt =

| type = State-owned enterprise {{small|(since 2015)}}
Research institute {{small|(until 2015)}}

| industry = Information technology

| predecessor =

| founded = {{Start date|1990|10|24|df=y}}

| defunct =

| fate =

| successor =

| hq_location_city = Mangyongdae-guyok, Pyongyang

| hq_location_country = North Korea

| area_served = North Korea

| key_people =

| products = Red Star OS

| owner = Government of North Korea

| num_employees =

| num_employees_year =

| parent =

| website =

}}

{{Infobox Korean name|context=north|hangul=조선콤퓨터중심 or 조선콤퓨터쎈터|hanja=朝鮮콤퓨터中心|mr=Chosŏn K'omp'yut'ŏ Ssent'ŏ|rr=Joseon Kompyuteo Ssenteo}}

The Korea Computer Center (KCC) is the North Korean government information technology research center. It was founded on 24 October 1990.{{cite web|url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/kcc/ |title=Korea Computer Center|work=Naenara |accessdate=2015-10-19 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231222441/http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/kcc/ |archivedate=2014-12-31 }} KCC, which administered the .kp country code top-level domain until 2011, employs more than 1,000 people.{{Cite news

| title = Laos signs software deal with North Korea

| publisher = Investvine.com

| date = 2013-03-16

| url = http://investvine.com/laos-signs-software-deal-with-north-korea/

| accessdate = 2013-03-17

| archive-date = 2020-08-10

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200810073138/http://investvine.com/laos-signs-software-deal-with-north-korea/

| url-status = dead

}}

KCC operates eight development and production centers, as well as eleven regional information centers. It runs the KCC Information Technology College and its Information Technology Institute. The KCC has branch offices in China, Germany, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. It has an interest in Linux research and started the development of the Red Star OS distribution localised for North Korea.

KCC is a part of the political establishment and not entirely an IT company per se. Its technological state and general modernity are seen as lagging well behind the rest of the world, even with the general zeitgeist in North Korea. For example, the .kp ccTLD was registered in 2007, but KCC did not manage to get a working registry for three years, despite the support of a European company. KCC has still not implemented a working ccTLD infrastructure, something the North Korean government has had as a goal for several years.

While KCC mainly works on projects within North Korea, it has since 2001 served clients in Europe, China, South Korea, Japan, and the Middle East.{{cite web |url=http://38north.org/2011/10/ptjia102611/ |title=North Korea: An Up-and-Coming IT-Outsourcing Destination |author=Paul Tjia |date=18 November 2011 |work=38 North, School of Advanced International Studies |publisher=Johns Hopkins University |accessdate=18 November 2011}}{{cite news |first=Jean H. |last=Lee |title=North Korea's 'Digital Revolution' Under Way |date=25 July 2011 |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/25/digital-revolution-north-korea_n_908368.html |work=AP |publisher=Huffingtom Post |accessdate=8 August 2011}} It operates Naenara, North Korea's official web portal.

KCC has reportedly collaborated with other state entities on cybersecurity and surveillance initiatives.{{Cite web|title=Latest Developments in North Korea’s Cyber Aggression and the ROK’s Responses |url=https://keia.org/shared_publication/latest-developments-in-north-koreas-cyber-aggression-and-the-roks-responses/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=IntelBrief: The Threat Landscape of North Korea’s Cyber Arsenal |url=https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-2024-february-22/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |language=en-US}}

Nosotek is another North Korean IT venture company that develops computer games; two of them were published by News Corporation.{{cite news | first = Matthew | last = Campbell |author2=Bomi Lim | title = Kim Bowled for Murdoch's Dollars With Korean Games | date = 2010-09-08 | url = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-06/kim-jong-il-bowls-for-murdoch-dollars-with-video-games-made-in-north-korea.html | work = Bloomberg | accessdate = 2010-09-13}} Another such company is the Pyongyang Information Center.{{Cite web| title = Computer Science in the DPRK [31c3]| author = Will Scott| website = YouTube| publisher = Chaos Computer Club| date = 29 December 2014| accessdate = 23 February 2015| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuxlLLeKZZ8}}

In early 2015, the KCC was reorganized, with all functions not related to the development of Red Star OS being transferred to other entities.{{Cite web|title=Growth of 'knowledge economy' in the Kim Jong Un era|url=http://www.nkeconwatch.com/2015/11/19/growth-of-knowledge-economy-in-the-kim-jong-un-era/|access-date=2022-02-14|website=North Korean Economy Watch|language=en-US}}