North Korean Phone Shows How They Control People
keep someone in check: to control a person and stop them from doing things you don’t approve of
A phone recently smuggled out of North Korea shows how far the government will go to keep its citizens in check. According to a BBC report, these phones do not allow internet access. Most alarming, the device takes a screenshot every five minutes and sends it to the government.
This technology is just one part of North Korea’s efforts to control speech and information. While they have banned South Korean TV shows, some videos still make it across the border. They are doing everything they can to stop these outside ideas from spreading.
In North Korea, even your keyboard obeys the government. For example, the word “oppa” means older brother, but it can also be South Korean slang for boyfriend. If someone types it, the North Korean phone will automatically change it to “comrade.” It even displays a warning: “This word can only be used to describe your siblings.” And if someone types the word for South Korea, the phone replaces it with “puppet state.”
Sample sentences
The government passed new curfew laws to keep protestors in check.
The police were there to keep the angry crowd in check.
She wrote down all her expenses to keep her spending in check.
Origin
This expression comes from the game of chess. In chess, when a king is “in check,” it means the king is under direct threat and must be protected. Over time, “in check” began to mean being under control or restrained in everyday language.
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This Smartphone Smuggled Out of North Korea Is Absolutely Wild