The Solitary Gamer: Uncovering The Mystery Of The North Korean Steam User And The DPRK's Digital Elite

The digital world has been captivated for over a decade by one of the internet's most enduring mysteries: the solitary Steam user operating out of Pyongyang, North Korea. In a nation notoriously cut off from the global internet, this single "dot" on the Steam statistics map has represented a fascinating anomaly, sparking endless speculation and viral discussions. As of December 2025, the legend continues, particularly after the user briefly went offline, only to reappear, confirming the continued, albeit highly restricted, connection between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the world's largest PC gaming platform.

This persistent user challenges the common perception of a completely isolated North Korea, instead highlighting the existence of a small, powerful, and technologically privileged elite within the capital. The user's activity is not just a quirky statistical footnote; it is a rare, tangible sign of a select few having access to the global network, a luxury entirely unavailable to the vast majority of the population who are restricted to the domestic intranet, Kwangmyong. The identity of this gamer is the key to understanding a hidden layer of North Korean society, one where international entertainment and digital services like Steam are a reality.

The Legend of the Solitary North Korean Steam User

The story began around 2013 when global Steam statistics first registered a consistent, solitary IP address originating from North Korea. This single data point, located specifically in the capital city of Pyongyang, became an internet legend. For years, the user’s presence was a quiet, almost poetic statement about the porous nature of even the most restrictive digital border.

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The user’s activity, though sporadic, was a constant source of curiosity. Their game library, playtime, and brief online/offline status updates were monitored by an informal community of internet sleuths. This monitoring reached a fever pitch recently when the user’s connection briefly disappeared, leading to headlines and widespread concern that the "North Korean Gamer" had finally been caught or had their access revoked. The subsequent return of the connection confirmed the user was back online, but it reignited the debate: who is this person, and what kind of privileged access do they possess?

The connection is almost certainly routed through the country’s single, state-controlled ISP, Korea Post and Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC), which manages the limited connection to the global internet. The user is bypassing the domestic Kwangmyong network, the national intranet that contains only government-approved content and is the only network accessible to the general public. This alone places the user in a very high-ranking social or political bracket.

Unmasking the Gamer: Identity and Privilege

Given the extreme rarity of global internet access in the DPRK, the list of potential identities for the Steam user is short and highly exclusive. The speculation typically boils down to three main categories: a high-ranking official, a foreign resident/tourist, or the country’s leader himself.

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The Prime Suspect: Alejandro Cao de Benós

The most likely and often-cited candidate is Alejandro Cao de Benós, a Spanish national who serves as the Special Delegate for the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries for the DPRK. Cao de Benós is one of the few Westerners with official, high-level government access to the country and has openly admitted on social media to playing PC games, including titles available on the Steam platform.

• Role: High-ranking foreign relations official, providing him with necessary, sanctioned global internet access.
• Location: Known to reside in Pyongyang.
• Confirmation: Has publicly discussed playing Steam games, making him the most plausible non-anonymous candidate.

Other Speculated Identities

While Cao de Benós is the frontrunner, other theories persist, each painting a picture of the immense privilege required to be the "solitary gamer":

Kim Jong-Un: The most sensational theory suggests the user could be the Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-Un, using the account for "research" or personal leisure. While unlikely for a high-profile figure to use a traceable IP for personal gaming, the possibility highlights the absolute power over the country's digital infrastructure.

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Foreign Expatriates or Tourists: Some analysts suggest the IP could belong to a foreign embassy, a select hotel in Pyongyang, or a non-governmental organization (NGO) worker. These groups are granted limited internet access via dedicated lines, and a user connecting from one of these locations would still appear as a solitary dot from the DPRK’s limited IP range. However, the decade-long consistency of the connection suggests a more permanent resident than a tourist.

The Iron Curtain of the DPRK's Digital World

The existence of a Steam user must be viewed against the backdrop of North Korea's incredibly restrictive and unique technological landscape. The country operates a dual system: the tightly controlled global internet for the elite and the domestic-only intranet for the masses.

Kwangmyong: The Domestic Intranet

The vast majority of North Koreans, including students and government workers, are restricted to Kwangmyong, a closed-off national intranet. This network operates on a local LAN-based system and contains only state-approved websites, e-books, and educational materials. It is a completely separate entity from the global internet and is designed to prevent any exposure to foreign information, culture, or digital services. Even the country's operating system, Juche OS, is heavily modified and monitored to ensure ideological purity.

The Elite's Global Access and Cyber Activities

The few individuals with access to the global internet—estimated to be only a few thousand people—are primarily high-level officials, researchers, and government hackers. Their access is often facilitated through dedicated fiber optic links and is strictly monitored by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

This elite access is not just for gaming. It is a critical component of the DPRK's "Cyber Playbook," which includes the activities of notorious state-sponsored hacking groups like the Lazarus Group. These groups are known for sophisticated cyber heists, including the theft of vast sums of cryptocurrency like Monero, to fund the country's weapons programs.

The Rise of DPRK Gaming Cafes

In a fascinating recent development, North Korea has begun to acknowledge and even promote a form of domestic gaming. Reports indicate the opening of a new, modern gaming and internet cafe in the Hwasong District of Pyongyang. These establishments, however, do not connect to the global internet or Steam. They are primarily designed for LAN-based gaming, offering popular titles like Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) that have been imported or modified to run on the internal network. This creates a controlled, isolated gaming community that prevents exposure to foreign players or online communication, keeping the digital divide firmly in place.

Conclusion: The Enduring Symbol of Digital Inequality

The North Korean Steam user remains a powerful symbol of the extreme digital inequality within the DPRK. While the average citizen is confined to the Kwangmyong intranet, a select few—likely including a high-ranking official like Alejandro Cao de Benós—enjoy the privilege of global digital citizenship. The user’s brief disappearance and subsequent return in late 2025 served as a fresh reminder of the fragility and exclusivity of this connection.

Whether the user is a diplomat, a researcher, or a hacker, their Steam profile is a digital fingerprint of the country’s elite, providing a tiny, almost unbelievable glimpse into the private life of those who stand behind the world’s most restrictive digital wall. As global pressure on DPRK's IT infrastructure and cyber activities increases, the presence of that single, solitary dot on the Steam map will continue to be closely watched, a silent, ongoing saga in the history of internet access.