N. Korea develops own OS

미국에 MS 윈도우가 있다면, 북한에는 ‘붉은 별’ 이 있다. 2일 러시아 언론 보도에 따르면 북한이 리눅스 기반의 독자적 컴퓨터 운영체제 (OS) 개발에 성공했다고 한다. 러시아 투데이 방송은, 평양 김일성 대학에 유학 중인 한 러시아 대학생이 최근 이 OS를 사용한 사례를 전하면서 내장된 프로그램을 자세히 소개했다. 보도에 따르면, ‘붉은 별’은 성능이나, 형식이 MS 윈도우와 흡사하며, OS 사용자 언어로는 한글과 영어, 러시아어, 중국어, 일어 등 5개국어가 적용돼 있다고 한다. 이 OS 프로그램은 북한의 대표적인 IT 연구개발 기관인 조선컴퓨터센터(KCC) 주도 아래 `붉은 별 정보센터` 등 22개 연구 기관이 공동 작업을 통해 개발한 것으로 알려졌다.





North Korea`s self-developed software operating system "Red Star" was brought to light for the first time by a Russian satellite broadcaster yesterday.

North Korea`s top IT experts began developing the Red Star in 2006, but its composition and operation mechanisms were unknown until the internet version of the Russia Today-TV featured the system, citing the blog of a Russian student who goes to the Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang.

The Red Star is based on Linux, a free and open software operating system, but looks a lot like the Microsoft Windows on display. It also has a similar user interface.

The desktop display of Red Star is almost identical to that of MS Windows.



A Red Star logo is shown on the lower left corner of the screen where MS Windows has a start button. It has most of the basic MS Windows icons such as a Trash Bin and My Computer. Only, the names of the icons are slightly different from the Korean version of MS Windows.

Application programs such as a Web browser and a word processor which also resemble MS products come in separate discs.

The Russian student paid about $5 worth of North Korean currency for the Red Star and $10 for an application program disc, according to RT-TV.

The Web browser named "My Country" allows internet surfing only through the search engine called "My Country BBS," reflecting the North`s closed online network that runs separately from the worldwide Web.

The North Korean equivalent of the MS Office "Woori" features compositions, user interface and colors that are similar to those of MS Word and Powerpoint.

(sophie@heraldm.com)



By Kim So-hyun