After being given unfettered internet access for the first time, North Korean troops sent to support Russia in the battle in Ukraine have apparently become addicted to pornography. About 10,000 troops are “gorging” on sexual material, according to Gideon Rachman, a Financial Times foreign affairs commentator.

“A generally trustworthy source informs me that the North Korean soldiers who have deployed to Russia have never had unrestricted access to the internet before,” Gideon Rachman said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). They are hooked on pornography as a consequence.

Residents of North Korea have had very little access to the internet, and the government tightly regulates the little material that is accessible. According to a 2016 study headed by security expert Matt Bryant, North Koreans could only visit 28 websites, the majority of which included material on the Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un, and state-run media. For the first time, these soldiers had unfettered internet access during this deployment, according to Rachman, which allegedly enhanced their intake of pornography.

Army Lt. Col. Charlie Dietz, a spokesman for the US Department of Defense, was also questioned over the “new habits” that North Korean troops who were dispatched by Kim Jong Un to fight with Russian forces allegedly adopted. Dietz said that he was unable to confirm “any North Korean internet habits or virtual extracurriculars” in an interview with Task and Purpose.

Dietz pointed out that although this is an interesting scenario, the Pentagon is more interested in the basic military elements of North Korea’s involvement in the fight than in any specific online behavior.

In anticipation of a possible long-term deployment, more than 7,000 North Korean troops have been stationed close to Russia’s border with Ukraine and have received training at many locations. These soldiers are participating in combat operations for the first time in the Kursk area, equipped with the newest weapons, such as mortar shells and AK-12 rifles.

However, the whole material of the internet will not be freely accessible to the North Korean military. The availability of certain pornographic material across the nation was restricted in 2015 when Russian authorities restricted access to a few significant foreign adult websites.

In an effort to safeguard children, the Russian media and information watchdog recommended in 2021 that all porn be available exclusively on state-run sites.