North Korea takes one small step into the present today, with an Associated Press reporter making the first ever Instagram tweet. Operator Koryolink has opened its mobile data services to foreigners and other visitors, allowing them to access Instagram, Twitter, and other services using a mobile phone.
The head of the Korean Associated Press bureau, Jean H. Lee, was the one to send out the historic Tweets. The included Instagram image in the second is a sign welcoming nuclear test scientists, which is more than a little worrying.
My first tweet using #Koryolink's new mobile #Internet service. Hello world from comms center in #Pyongyang.
— Jean H. Lee (@newsjean) February 25, 2013
Signs like this welcoming #nuclear test scientists have gone up around #Pyongyang #nkorea @ Pyongyang,… instagr.am/p/WJHxUNOCkm/ — Jean H. Lee (@newsjean) February 25, 2013
Still, this is an underwhelming but still historic move for the North Korean government. It's the latest in a series of new developments for the country's policies regarding foreigners, which includes a recent move to allow overseas handsets to be brought into the country.
Unfortunately, these policies only apply to visitors, as the government still has an iron fisted grip around its population's Internet access. Still, with foreigners now free to Tweet about the country's nuclear testing, you have to imagine that there is at least a slightly more welcoming atmosphere in the region. That, or the regime hasn't quite figured out what exactly Twitter is, and will soon close down that ability. I honest wouldn't be so surprised if that turns out to be the case.