North Korea

Foreign Affairs
Both North Korea and China clamped down on Christian groups, resulting in tensions with other countries. In late 2014, two detained Americans were released from Pyongyang. One of them, Kenneth Bae, had been sentenced to 15 years of hard labor, but was released after two years of holding. Moreover, a Canadian pastor, South Korea-born Hyeon Soo Lim, was held by North Korea in February 2015 until he was sentenced on December 16, 2015 to hard labor for life for attempting to overthrow the government by undermining its social system with religious activities. The conclusion of the trial prompted rapid communications with Canada about possibly securing his release.

Technology
North Korea's homegrown computer operating system - Red Star OS - mirrored its political one: a go-it alone approach, a high degree of paranoia, and invasive snooping on users, illustrating the challenges Pyongyang faced in trying to embrace the benefits of the Internet while keeping a tight grip on ideas and culture. It did not connect to the outside Internet, but allowed access to state media and some officially approved websites, developed over the course of more than a decade.