Friend
State-run social and cultural exchange site for international audiences.
Friend at a glance
Friend is a blogs & forums website and one of the most visited sites in North Korea, currently ranked #9 in the country. It was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Pyongyang, North Korea. Today Friend is owned by Government of North Korea. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 0 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through government funded.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 0 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 0 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 0 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 0 million / month | +6% |
Traffic sources
- Organic search47%
- Direct33%
- Social12%
- Referral6%
- Paid2%
Audience & demographics
- Men58%
- Women42%
- Age 18-2429%
- Age 25-3432%
- Age 35-4419%
The audience is concentrated in North Korea, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- North Korea86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 0 million visits / month
- Branded share of search
- High — brand terms lead the keyword profile
- Indexed pages
- Large — category, listing or article level
- Primary search market
- North Korea
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| friend | 1 | Very high | Dominant |
| forum | Top 10 | High | — |
| reviews | Top 10 | High | — |
| how to | Top 10 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- Tens of thousands
- Link profile
- News coverage, directories, blogs and partner sites
- Authority
- High within the North Korea web
Top referral sources
- News and media31%
- Directories and aggregators24%
- Blogs and forums20%
- Partner sites14%
- Other11%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Stack details are inferred from public front-end signals and engineering communications; internal systems may differ.
Mobile app statistics
Available in the local store
Available in the local store
- App share of traffic
- ≈ 70% mobile
- Position in country
- Among the leading blogs & forums apps in North Korea
Company information
- Website
- friend.com.kp
- Sector
- Blogs & Forums
- Owner
- Government of North Korea
- Owner type
- State-owned enterprise
- Founded
- 2016
- Headquarters
- Pyongyang, North Korea
- Ownership
- Government of North Korea controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Languages
- Korean, English
- Top traffic sources
- organic search, direct, social
Financials
- Revenue
- Not publicly disclosed
- Ownership
- State-owned enterprise
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
Friend operates a community, blog and forum platform focused on North Korea. State-run social and cultural exchange site for international audiences. Revenue comes mainly from government funded, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Government funded
International presence
- Primary market
- North Korea
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (North Korea)
- #9 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading blogs & forums site in North Korea
- Global rank
- Not ranked
What is Friend?
Friend (friend.com.kp) is a community, blog and forum platform serving users in North Korea. State-run social and cultural exchange site for international audiences. It ranks #9 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the blogs & forums category.
Who owns Friend?
The site is operated by Government of North Korea. The company was established in 2016 and is headquartered in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place Friend at roughly 0 million visits per month, about 0 million per day. Around 70% mobile of sessions come from mobile devices, and visitors view about 6.4 pages per visit with an average session of 9 min.
How Friend makes money
Revenue comes primarily from government funded, alongside .
Competitors in North Korea
It competes with other blogs & forums platforms active in the local market.
Data and accuracy
Company facts are drawn from public sources. Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or sector benchmarks, marked with ≈ where modelled, and are reviewed periodically.
Company history & milestones
- 2016
Friend is founded in Pyongyang, North Korea.
- Growth phase
Expands its blogs & forums offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #9 among the most visited websites in North Korea.
User reviews & ratings
| Source | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play | ≈ 4.3 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| App Store | ≈ 4.5 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| Consumer review platforms | Mixed | — | Service and support are common themes |
App store ratings are solid, while consumer review platforms show the usual friction around support and service quality.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Large archive of user-generated answers
- Active community with fast replies
- Strong long-tail search visibility
- Free participation
Cons
- Moderation quality varies by section
- Outdated threads rank in search
- Advertising density on popular pages
- Tone can be hostile to newcomers
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Friend?
Friend is operated by Government of North Korea. State-owned enterprise structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is Friend headquartered?
Friend is headquartered in Pyongyang, North Korea.
When was Friend founded?
Friend was founded in 2016.
What is Friend's revenue?
Friend does not publish standalone revenue; income comes from government funded.
How does Friend make money?
Mainly government funded.
Is Friend publicly traded?
Friend's ownership: State-owned enterprise.
How many visitors does Friend get?
Third-party estimates place Friend at roughly 0 million visits per month, mostly from North Korea, with 70% mobile traffic.
Is Friend safe?
Friend is an established blogs & forums site founded in 2016 and ranked #9 in North Korea; use the official domain friend.com.kp and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementsfriend.com.kp
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageNorth Korea and international business media
- Data confidence
- Medium for company facts, medium-low for traffic and financial estimates. All modelled figures are rounded and marked with ≈.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or derived from sector benchmarks, and are reviewed periodically.
Social media profiles & statistics
Official brand account
Announcements and support
Community and campaigns
Company and hiring updates
Brand and product videos