Drones drop films, information into N. Korea, activists say

Stealthy helicopter drones have been delivering SD cards and flash drives to North Korean residents hungry for entertainment and information from the outside, a North Korean defector and activist said Wednesday.

Jung Gwang-il, founder of the group No Chain, said the drones have been delivering the contraband since early 2015.

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The images of former North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung (left) and Kim Jong Il hang outside the April 25 House of Culture as Pyongyang holds its 7th Congress of Workers' Party.

The full car park at the 7th Workers' Party Congress in Pyongyang, which was attended by some 3,4000 delegates.

North Korean women in traditional dress prepare to greet delegates at the 7th Workers' Party Congress, held for the first time in 36 years.

A photograph of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hangs in the enormous April 25 House of Culture during the 7th Workers' Party Congress in Pyongyang.

The images of former North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung (left) and Kim Jong Il adorn the convention center as the 7th Workers' Party Congress in Pyongyang takes place.

More than 3,000 party members and scores of international journalists poured into a convention center in Pyongyang for the once-in-a-generation political gathering.

The ceiling in the hall of the April 25 House of Culture is photographed during the 7th Workers' Party Congress.

A man watches the 7th Workers' Party Congress in Pyongyang, where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gave a 15-minute opening speech, touting the country's weapons development.

Portraits of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il look down from the clock tower of Pyongyang Central Railway Station. The station is a major hub for travelers to and from the capital, including many of the delegates for the upcoming Workers' Party Congress, which starts on May 6.

Passengers look curiously through the window at foreign journalists who are taking pictures of them on a tram in Pyongyang, May 4.

Trams are packed to capacity carrying citizens to rehearsals for choreographed group displays during the 7th Workers' Party Congress.

A student band outside Hyoksin (Innovation) Station is tasked with lifting the spirits of Pyongyang citizens so they'll work harder during the "70 day battle" leading up to the congress.

Secondary school students walk home in a group along Kwangbok "Liberation" street in Pyongyang on May 4 after a day of work and rehearsals for the upcoming congress.

A woman gets into a taxi outside a new Pyongyang department store. The North Korean capital now has several taxi companies.

A growing number of Pyongyang's upper-middle class are able to purchase fashionable clothing, usually imported from China. Two-year-old Ri Ryong Won's mother is a primary school teacher.

Hyon Un Mi, 27, works as a guide at Pyongyang's Arch of Triumph. She says she and her colleagues have worked for 70 days straight, acting on orders of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. To prepare Pyongyang for the upcoming congress, she was part of a work crew sent to refurbish Kim Il Sung Stadium.

Everywhere you look people are carrying home bags of artificial flowers. They are standard issue for all major celebrations in North Korea.

Around every corner of Pyongyang are banners marking the upcoming congress. This one says "Great party. Motherly party."

A woman walks her bike along Kwangbok "Liberation" street in Pyongyang on May 4 after a day of work and rehearsals for the upcoming congress.

Many of the mass demonstrations will feature group choreography. Bundles of fake flowers are distributed and people are seen carrying them throughout Pyongyang.

North Korea holds first Workers' Party congress in 36 years

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The SD cards and USB flash drives contain Western and South Korean films, TV shows, music and internet-free access to Wikipedia – media that will help get outside information to North Koreans, who are kept behind an invisible wall that cuts them off from outside influence.

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Using such drones has long been discussed among North Korean activists, but it’s the first time a group acknowledged that it had been secretly using them to make deliveries to North Korea.

“I put great hope in these sticks,” said Jung, holding up a USB flash drive as he spoke at the Oslo Freedom Forum on Wednesday. “I believe this has power to bring freedom to my country.”

North Korean high school students play on a beach at Wonsan, on September 11, 2017.

Bartender at the Rainbow floating restaurant in Pyongyang on September 10.

Sunday afternoon row boats on the Taedong River, Pyongyang, beside Juche Tower. Taken on September 10.

Participation in mass celebrations is mandatory for those privileged citizens allowed to live in the capital, Pyongyang. Taken on September 9.

Pyongyang residents walk past a poster marking the 69th DPRK Foundation Day on September 9. It reads "Let the entire world look up to the great Kim Il Sung nation and Kim Jong Il Korea."

This statue in Samjiyon depicts North Korea's founding President Kim Il Sung when he was a guerrilla fighter against the Japanese. Taken on September 6.

The lobby of the CNN team's hotel in Samjiyon on September 5.

A bus driver who drives a Japanese vehicle over some of the bumpiest roads in North Korea. Taken on September 5.

Propaganda banners line the streets of Samjiyon on September 4.

Public transportation in rural North Korea, near the Chinese border, taken on September 4.

A young North Korean musician in the border town of Kaesong, taken on September 4. Music is a huge part of life in North Korea.

North Korean tour guide at Mt Paektu outside the alleged birth place of Kim Jong Il, on September 3. Kim is widely considered to have been born in Russia.

Housing units deep in rural North Korea, near the border with China, taken on September 3.

A boy living in the mountainous northeastern border region on September 3, not far from North Korea's sixth nuclear test.

The view from the top of Mt Paektu on September 3, a sacred site to North Koreans close to the border with China. First time CNN has ever been allowed here.

The Mausoleum of Tangun is said to hold the remains of the ancient King Tangun -- widely considered a mythical figure.

North Korea built the pyramid in 1994 and has not allowed outside experts to verify the remains inside.

Sunset from inside Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, on August 31.

The crowd applauds as North Korean TV airs footage of their latest missile launch outside Pyongyang Station on August 30, 2017.

The parents in North Korea of an inadvertent defector react to a video message, shared by CNN's Will Ripley, from their daughter, who lives in South Korea and cannot return home. The family hasn't been together in years.

May Day celebrations are held on May 1 in Pyongyang.

A North Korean boy sits in his family's living room on April 30 in Pyongyang.

North Koreans in Pyongyang celebrate the country's 85th annual Army Day on April 25. The holiday celebrates the founding of its army.

A North Korea veteran stands against the backdrop of the USS Pueblo, a US Navy ship that North Korea captured in 1968. CNN's Will Ripley‪ asked this veteran about his thoughts on the USS Carl Vinson, an American aircraft carrier conducting joint drills with two Japanese destroyers in the western Pacific Ocean. The veteran told Ripley, "We can sink that aircraft carrier."

Ripley noted that in Pyongyang, children are often seen dressed in bright, colorful clothing, contrasting with the more conservative and darker outfits worn by many adults.

North Korean soldiers march on April 15, as the nation marks the birth of its founder, Kim Il Sung, who is also the grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un.

North Koreans celebrate the birthday of Kim Il Sung. He would have been 105.

Tanks roll through Kim Il Sung Square on April 15.

North Korean air force jets fly over the Pyongyang celebration.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears at a ceremony to formally open a housing development in Pyongyang on April 13. The project was rushed to completion in under a year, North Korean officials say.

North Koreans gather to witness the opening of the Ryomyong Street housing development.

Foreign journalists are filmed by North Korean media during the Ryomyong Street event.

Soldiers leave the opening ceremony of the Ryomyong Street development.

North Koreans observe a statue of their founder, Kim Il Sung, at the Museum of the Korean Revolution on April 10. CNN's Will Ripley said it was the first time CNN cameras had been allowed into the Pyongyang museum.

North Koreans pose on April 9, for a photo at Mangyongdae, the birthplace of Kim Il Sung.

Boys in Pyongyang pose for a photo at a secondary school for orphans on February 19.

A tiger is seen at a zoo in Pyongyang on February 19. CNN's Will Ripley, Tim Schwarz and Justin Robertson were the only Western broadcasters reporting from North Korea after it conducted a ballistic missile test on February 12. See their dispatches.

CNN's Will Ripley posted this photo of the Pyongyang skyline on February 17. "Note the 105-story pyramid skyscraper, the Ryugyong Hotel. Work began in 1987. Still unfinished," Ripley said in his Instagram post.

North Korean soldiers ride on February 17, in a black Mercedes-Benz on the streets of Pyongyang.

A 70-story apartment building undergoes construction on February 17.

The floating Rainbow Restaurant is seen in Pyongyang on February 17.

North Korean soldiers watch fireworks on February 16, in Pyongyang.

People use smartphones on on February 16, to take photos of an ice sculpture in Pyongyang.

A soldier stands guard in North Korea on February 16. While military service for women has long been voluntary, it reportedly was made mandatory recently in a bid to bolster the armed forces.

A boy visits the Kimjongilia flower show on February 16. The red flowers are named after the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

University students dance in front of the Pyongyang indoor stadium on February 16.

Book titles are listed in English at a bookshop for tourists in the Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang.

Ice flows down the Taedong River in Pyongyang on February 16.

Soldiers pay respects to former North Korean leaders on February 15. The site is considered one of the most sacred in Pyongyang.

Vendors sell flowers February 15 to mourners paying their respects to deceased leaders of North Korea.

The view over the frozen Taedong River shows residential areas of Pyongyang on February 15.

The symbol of North Korea's sole political party, the Korean Workers' Party, can be seen atop a government building in Pyongyang.

Taxis are becoming more prevalent on the streets of Pyongyang. Most commuters still ride buses.

Tour guides told CNN's crew that "in 1948, Kim Il Sung, his wife and his then 7-year-old son, Kim Jong Il, test fired North Korea's first domestically manufactured submachine gun," Tim Schwartz said on Instagram. The guides said that all three shot bullseyes at 50 meters.

The Man Gyong Dae School Children's Palace, shown in May 2016, is an after-school activity complex in Pyongyang.

Young singers practice their performance at a "children's palace" in Pyongyang.

Children play volleyball at an after-school center in Pyongyang.

An Olympic-sized swimming pool is a focal point of a "children's palace" after-school center in Pyongyang.

Pyongyang prepares in 2016 for the Workers' Party of Korea congress, the first such meeting since 1980. The event aimed to consolidate Kim Jong Un's power in the regime.

A train can be seen from the window of the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang.

CNN visits the North Korean Science and Technology Center in Pyongyang in January 2016.

Visitors to North Korea's Science and Technology Center use the tightly regulated North Korean intranet.

A guide shows visitors a display in the North Korean Science and Technology Center.

Exhibits at the North Korean Science and Technology Center include this fighter jet.

During a carefully choreographed show of strength to mark the 70th anniversary of the ruling Korean Workers' Party in October 2015, a soldier marches across Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square.

Young members of North Korea's military ride artillery through Pyongyang.

North Korean soldiers march below statues of North Korea's founding president Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong Il.

Weapons are paraded through Pyongyang as a clear signal to the rest of the world that North Korea has military might.

A large mural of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung stands outside the Jang Chon cooperative farm, a 30-minute drive outside the capital Pyongyang. CNN visited the farm in September 2015.

Farm manager Kim Myong Jon is something of a celebrity in North Korea. During the past 40 years, she's met with all three North Korean leaders.

The farm where Kim Myong Jon works is home to one of North Korea's first greenhouses. It was first visited by Kim Il Sung more than three decades ago, and more recently by his grandson, current leader Kim Jong Un.

Chili peppers lie in the sun at the Jang Chon farm. Peppers are used for making kimchi, the fermented cabbage dish that is a staple of the North Korean diet.

CNN's Will Ripley speaks with scientists from North Korea's space agency, the National Aeronautical Development Association (NADA). In September 2015, CNN was given exclusive access to the newly opened satellite control center.

The futuristic space center is in a residential area not far from the center of Pyongyang.

Two officials walk in the grounds of the space facility. NADA officials told CNN that they had prepared multiple satellites and were in the "final stages of perfecting all operations."

Hula hoop diplomacy at a North Korean dolphinarium. CNN video journalist Brad Olson was called on stage to show how it's done."I managed to get three going, much to the delight of the crowd," he said.

In May 2015, CNN was given rare access to a faculty apartment in an upscale area of Pyongyang, near Kim Il Sung University. The lounge was neat, if a little dated.

This is the master bedroom of the three-bedroom apartment. A university professor lives in the home with his adult children. It's 200 square meters (about 2,150 square feet). That's large for an apartment in Pyongyang.

A flat-screen television sits prominently in the lounge.

Books are neatly lined up above a desk in the study. There's a lamp for reading and a large padded chair.

Every home in North Korea displays portraits of late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Housing is assigned by the government and is free. Those who want to move have to sign up to exchange places with other citizens.

The kitchen features a double sink and brushed metal counter tops.

The kitchen is fitted with a Haier two-burner gas hob. Haier, based in Qingdao, China, is one of the world's biggest home appliance companies.

First-graders in a Pyongyang classroom are orderly yet energetic, often standing and giving spirited answers to their teacher's questions.

North Korean students watch riding lessons at a new equestrian center designed by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. The facility was formerly used for military training.

Outdoor exercise accompanied by upbeat music is a daily routine for these North Korean middle school students. Classes are critiqued on their coordination.

Young children in a newly constructed Pyongyang orphanage practice a musical performance.

The orphanage features a pool area for the children, who live and study in the complex.

Young boys practice a drum routine that they will perform during International Children's Day.

Toy rocket launchers sit ready for children to play with.

Junior Lt. Col. Nam Dong Ho speaks to CNN correspondent Will Ripley. In May 2015, Ripley and his team were granted rare access to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in North Korea. An estimated three-quarters of North Korea's standing army of more than a million is based near the heavily fortified border.

Soldiers stand guard on the North Korean side of the DMZ.

North Korea displays the armistice agreement that brought the brutal fighting of the Korean War to an end in 1953.

Junior Lt. Col. Nam Dong Ho is part of North Korea's standing army of more than a million.

Pyongyang women wear their Sunday best -- and carry ornate umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun.

Twin statues honor the late leaders of North Korea, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Visitors to Pyongyang are routinely taken to pay their respects and lay flowers at the monument.

Kim Jong Un personally inspected the plans for this new water park and had his top officials test the water slides for safety.

Visitors to a Pyongyang water park play table tennis.

The Pyongyang Gold Lane, a bowling alley in the North Korean capital, is popular among young people.

Pyongyang Airport is the first stop on tours of North Korea. Air Koryo is the national airline. It operates direct flights from Beijing and Shenyang in China, and Vladivostok in Russia. Air Koryo has an aging fleet, although it has purchased some newer aircraft in recent years.

The inflight magazine features multiple pages on Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

The inflight meal consists of a burger and a glass of North Korean beer.

Scenes from Pyongyang: CNN inside North Korea

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No Chain and the Human Rights Foundation have quietly delivered more than 1,000 SD cards and flash drives to the communist country via hexacopter drones, they said. The groups declined to reveal from what countries the drones are launched – and how those countries respective governments might feel about it – and where the dropoffs are, citing security reasons.

The groups chose to send media because of its power to show outside life to North Koreans, said Human Rights Foundation President Thor Halvorssen.

“The regime is trying to stop soap operas, Hollywood films, and things like K-pop. For the reputation as a strong group of vicious tyrants, they’re certainly quite fearful of something as simple as cartoons and TV programs. This challenges their iron grip of the North Korean people,” he said.

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Delivering info to North Korea

For decades, efforts to bring outside information or entertainment into North Korea have been decidedly low tech.

Radio programs made for North Koreans can get their frequencies jammed.

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Balloons carrying pamphlets, SD cards and USB flash drives have been released in hopes that the wind would carry them over into North Korea. Sometimes, the balloons drift off course into the sea or back into South Korea. The bulk and size of the balloons make them fairly conspicuous and easy to track.

Traders and activists have hired smugglers to carry goods such as Chinese cell phones, media and other goods over the North Korean border. But relying on a network of people in the secretive state is risky and dangerous to the individuals involved, Jung said.

The trade is not only activist-driven, but also requested by North Koreans who crave information beyond what’s permitted in their state, said Jung.

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“A USB flash drive costs a month’s wage for a North Korean worker, but despite high costs, the North Korean people desire outside info,” said Jung.

“In that dark land, there are still people hungry for info.”

Human Rights Foundation funded the efforts, Halvorssen said.

After months of testing in secrecy, they decided to make their activities public in order to “encourage other civil society organizations to take advantage of new technologies.”

“With more and more other actors, it could have a big impact in increasing quantity of info getting in,” Halvorssen said.

The drones can follow a specified route and drop off their payloads in a specific area.

Halvorssen said they’re able to load several pounds of SD cards and flash drives on one drone. He also said there are security risks involved – including what could happen to the drones if they’re captured.

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Jung, who escaped to South Korea in 2004, said he was first inspired to use the technology after reading about how Amazon was testing drone deliveries and he wondered whether it would work to get small items such as flash drives and SD cards into North Korea.

He has testified several times about his imprisonment in the notorious Yodok political prison and about the torture he endured in a prison camp – experiences that caused him to lose his faith in the regime.

As he has advocated from South Korea, Jung’s identity has been questioned by the North Korean government – a common tactic used to target vocal defectors.

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In recent months, North Korea has attracted attention after announcing that it had conducted test launches of missiles and has tested a nuclear device.

The country also seems familiar with drones. South Korea has alleged that as many as three unmanned propeller planes strapped with cameras have come into its territory from North Korea. Scientists said all three devices were programmed to return to the North.