Red Star 4 appears in a workplace learning system

The Achim thin client (Photo: Arirang Meari)

The newest version of North Korea’s home-grown Linux operating system has been put to use in a new terminal system for use in study rooms that exist at many companies and institutions.

Red Star OS version 4 (붉은별 4.0) is used in the system that was produced by Achim Computer (아침콤퓨터합영회사), according to the North Korean state-run Arirang Meari website.

The site didn’t offer a detailed technical description of the terminal but it appears to be a device that consists of a monitor with integrated computer, keyboard and mouse. By integrating the computer into the display, the entire system takes up a fifth of the space of a conventional workstation, according to the outlet.

It’s designed to be used in “science and technology study rooms” that are becoming a common feature of North Korean factories and other establishments. In them, workers can take computer-based classes on the latest technology in their fields. It forms part of a large state-push to further educate the work force in the hope of introducing new efficiencies and technologies to North Korean industry.

Arirang Meari said the new system uses less power, can accept a wider range of voltage and offers higher security.

The Red Star operating system is a North Korean variant of the Linux operating system published by the Korea Computer Center. Version 4 of the OS was released in late 2017 and a copy of the software has yet to be made available online. Achim is a long-established North Korean computer company that was originally formed in 2002.

An affiliate of 38 North