.kp is the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

country code A country code is a short alphanumeric identification code for countries and dependent areas. Its primary use is in data processing and communications. Several identification systems have been developed. The term ''country code'' frequently re ...

top-level domain A top-level domain (TLD) is one of the domain name, domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System of the Internet after the root domain. The top-level domain names are installed in the DNS root zone, root zone of the nam ...

(

ccTLD A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, sovereign state, or dependent territory identified with a country code. All ASCII ccTLD identifiers are two letters long, and all tw ...

) for

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

(DPRK). It was created on 24 September 2007.

History

The DPRK applied for the

(

) in 2004.

ICANN The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN ) is a global multistakeholder group and nonprofit organization headquartered in the United States responsible for coordinating the maintenance and procedures of several dat ...

, however, refused because the DPRK did not meet some of the requirements. Another attempt was later made via the Korea Computer Center (KCC) Europe in 2006. The main body of KCC and the DPRK Ambassador to the United Nations petitioned ICANN again. They were refused again for providing insufficient information. A new application was sent in January 2007, and an ICANN delegation visited the country in May. This time, ICANN finally agreed to assign to the DPRK. One of the first organizations to adopt a domain was the

Korean Central News Agency The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) () is the state news agency of North Korea. The agency portrays the views of the North Korean government for both domestic and foreign consumption. It was established on December 5, 1946, and now features ...

(KCNA) in 2009. Previously, the domain was managed by the Korea Computer Center (KCC) Europe. A large number of websites were also hosted by KCC Europe in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. However, in 2011, management was transferred to the

Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...

-based Star Joint Venture.

Second-level domains

Neither the DPRK government agencies nor the central registry have published the second-level domain registration rules. However, according to the using practices shown by the currently existing and accessible DPRK domains and websites, while regarding the worldwide country code second-level domain distribution rules, the second-level domain rules in the DPRK can be interpreted as below. * ''aca.kp'' : Academic research institutes * ''com.kp'' : Companies * ''edu.kp'' : Higher education institutions * ''law.kp'' : Legal firms * ''org.kp'' : Organizations * ''gov.kp'' : Government departments * ''rep.kp'' : Agencies associated with the

Workers' Party of Korea The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), also called the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), is the sole ruling party of North Korea. Founded in 1949 from a merger between the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of South Korea, the WPK is ...

* ''net.kp'' : Internet service providers and email service providers * ''sca.kp'' : Affiliated institutes under the Ministry of Culture The following are externally accessible domain name examples of the use of second-level domain names: * ''aca.kp'' : mirae.aca.kp * ''com.kp'' : airkoryo.com.kp, knic.com.kp, friend.com.kp * ''edu.kp'' : ryongnamsan.edu.kp, kut.edu.kp, gpsh.edu.kp * ''law.kp'' : fia.law.kp * ''org.kp'' : cooks.org.kp, koredufund.org.kp, kass.org.kp * ''gov.kp'' : mfa.gov.kp, moph.gov.kp, tourismdprk.gov.kp * ''rep.kp'' : rodong.rep.kp, vok.rep.kp, gnu.rep.kp * ''net.kp'' : sually appears as the extension for email addresses published elsewhere on other DPRK websites: e.g. ''@star-co.net.kp''* ''sca.kp'' : korart.sca.kp

List of domains

Active domains

, over 30 domains are active under the

. These are as follows: Bold indicates a dedicated article on the website itself. * airkoryo.com.kp * cooks.org.kp *dprknado.org.kp *dprkportal.kp * fia.law.kp * friend.com.kp * gpsh.edu.kp *kass.org.kp * kcna.kp * kftrade.com.kp *kiyctc.com.kp * knic.com.kp *korart.sca.kp *korean-books.com.kp *koreanarchitecture.gov.kp *koredufund.org.kp *korelcfund.org.kp *korfilm.com.kp * korstamp.com.kp * kut.edu.kp * kza.org.kp * ma.gov.kp * manmulsang.com.kp *mediaryugyong.com.kp * mfa.gov.kp * minzu.rep.kp *mirae.aca.kp * moph.gov.kp * naenara.com.kp * pyongyangtimes.com.kp * rodong.rep.kp *ryomyong.edu.kp * ryongnamsan.edu.kp *silibank.net.kp (mail server only) *sdprk.org.kp *star-co.net.kp (mail server only) * tourismdprk.gov.kp * vok.rep.kp * youth.rep.kp *yongsaeng.org.kp Some addresses are used by the North Korean Internet only, and some of them are only accessible in the Kwangmyong network, alongside regularly-used 24-bit block IPv4 private addresses.

Former domains

These domains are not included on the "dprkportal.kp" website as of 2025, but existed in the past. *futurere.com.kp *gnu.rep.kp *ksf.com.kp *masikryong.com.kp *nta.gov.kp *polestar.com.kp *pulbora.edu.kp *samhae.com.kp *star.co.kp

Notes

References

External links

Registration website
at Star Joint Venture

*
The North Korean Website List
at '' North Korea Tech'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Kp Country code top-level domains Internet in North Korea Internet properties established in 2007 sv:Toppdomän#K