The profusion of new communications technologies has made foreign information more accessible to ordinary North Koreans, but other technological advances have equipped the government with the means to tighten its blockade on international media with new effectiveness.

Since Kim Jong Un rose to power, crackdowns have intensified, viewing trends have changed, bribes have played a larger role, and innovation has raised the stakes. 

Though this cat and mouse game is often conducted away from the purview of the outside world, a collection of newly released research projects — including surveys with defectors and first-person testimonials — gives