The route goes to NK

traceroute thepiratebay.se output:

  12  INTELSAT-IN.car1.NewYork1.Level3.net (64.156.82.14)  127.129 ms  121.898 ms  121.857 ms
  13  209.159.170.215 (209.159.170.215)  214.763 ms  196.291 ms  210.602 ms
  14  202.72.96.6 (202.72.96.6)  697.258 ms  711.336 ms  693.061 ms
  15  175.45.177.217 (175.45.177.217)  696.368 ms  699.046 ms  702.013 ms

175.45.177.217 Seems to be an actual IP in NK[0]

[0] http://bgp.he.net/AS131279

My route, from the US, was one hell of a world trip. Bounced around the US a bit then back and forth between NYC and Frankfurt, finally down to Nigeria (appears to be a satellite uplink), over to Cambodia and then into NK.

Huh.

I get a German IP, 194.71.107.15 and the tracepath results take the route nowhere near Asia.

From a Verizon FiOS connection in Massachusetts, I get:

    $ traceroute thepiratebay.se
    traceroute to thepiratebay.se (194.71.107.15), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
    ... snip ...
     3  ae0-0.bos-bb-rtr2.verizon-gni.net (130.81.209.94)  4.940 ms  3.924 ms  4.962 ms
     4  0.xe-8-0-0.br3.nyc4.alter.net (152.63.23.241)  13.551 ms  15.600 ms  14.553 ms
     5  204.255.169.234 (204.255.169.234)  14.996 ms  13.661 ms  15.424 ms
     6  ae-2.r23.nycmny01.us.bb.gin.ntt.net (129.250.4.148)  14.953 ms  16.048 ms  14.726 ms
     7  ae-6.r21.frnkge03.de.bb.gin.ntt.net (129.250.3.181)  109.988 ms  106.394 ms  107.488 ms
     8  ae-1.r02.frnkge03.de.bb.gin.ntt.net (129.250.4.163)  105.110 ms  108.378 ms  104.977 ms
     9  xe-3-2.r00.dsdfge02.de.bb.gin.ntt.net (129.250.5.61)  129.906 ms  141.522 ms  141.731 ms
    10  213.198.77.122 (213.198.77.122)  105.035 ms  104.582 ms  105.151 ms
    11  * * *
    12  * xe-0-1-0-3.r02.frnkge03.de.bb.gin.ntt.net (129.250.5.62)  143.231 ms *
    13  xe-0.level3.frnkge03.de.bb.gin.ntt.net (129.250.8.202)  161.436 ms  125.598 ms  159.774 ms
    14  * vlan90.csw4.frankfurt1.level3.net (4.69.154.254)  262.171 ms  270.225 ms
    15  ae-82-82.ebr2.frankfurt1.level3.net (4.69.140.25)  197.361 ms  214.021 ms  272.423 ms
    16  ae-61-61.csw1.newyork1.level3.net (4.69.134.66)  219.914 ms  244.709 ms  214.996 ms
    17  ae-21-70.car1.newyork1.level3.net (4.69.155.67)  232.323 ms *  203.640 ms
    18  intelsat-in.car1.newyork1.level3.net (64.156.82.14)  319.879 ms *  219.131 ms
    19  rvs-rt0003_fe-0-0 .intelsatone.net (209.159.170.215)  289.920 ms  357.010 ms  332.387 ms
    20  202.72.96.6 (202.72.96.6)  832.528 ms  844.070 ms *
    21  175.45.177.217 (175.45.177.217)  797.110 ms  839.233 ms  859.813 ms
    ... snip ...
    40  * *^C
    $ whois 175.45.177.217
    ... snip ...
    inetnum:        175.45.176.0 - 175.45.179.255
    netname:        STAR-KP
    descr:          Ryugyong-dong
    descr:          Potong-gang District
    country:        KP
    admin-c:        SJVC1-AP
    tech-c:         SJVC1-AP
    status:         ALLOCATED PORTABLE
    mnt-by:         APNIC-HM
    mnt-lower:      MAINT-STAR-KP
    mnt-routes:     MAINT-STAR-KP
    remarks:        -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-++-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
    remarks:        This object can only be updated by APNIC hostmasters.
    remarks:        To update this object, please contact APNIC
    remarks:        hostmasters and include your organisation's account
    remarks:        name in the subject line.
    remarks:        -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-++-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
    changed:        hm-changed@apnic.net 20091221
    source:         APNIC
    
    role:           STAR JOINT VENTURE CO LTD - network administrat
    address:        Ryugyong-dong Potong-gang District
    country:        KP
    phone:          +66 81 208 7602
    fax-no:         +66 2 240 3180
    e-mail:         sahayod@loxley.co.th
    admin-c:        SJVC1-AP
    tech-c:         SJVC1-AP
    nic-hdl:        SJVC1-AP
    mnt-by:         MAINT-STAR-KP
    changed:        hm-changed@apnic.net 20091214
    source:         APNIC
    $

KP is North Korea. And their IP, 194.71.107.15, is indeed German. And telephone country code 66 is Thailand.

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_North_Korea

Hmm, tracepath and traceroute give me differing results. With traceroute the last hop I get is 202.72.96.6 which is apparently Cambodia. traceroute takes me from London to Germany to New York to Cambodia. It's a strange route.

I don't see it in my traceroute. It is going through Frankfurt.

Nothing seems to indicate a joke - North Korea does seem interested in strange PR stunts, so this could very well be real. I'm unsure as to how hosting would possibly work there though - I don't believe they have free internet access in/out of North Korea for these servers to run on - perhaps satellite connections could be used.

I doubt the country even has the bandwidth to host such a site. thepiratebay.se resolves to a German IP for me. I call BS and shenanigans. This just appears to be a publicity stunt.

Eric Schmidt brought us maps. Dennis Rodman brought us TPB. This is fine diplomacy.

I know DPRK has bigger problems, but the exposure isn't bad. TPB isn't in a position to free the people, so I can't concur with those who claim this is somehow ignorant of those issues. Times are changing there. Channels are opening up. These guys may serve a greater purpose, even if it's not today.

It's not April 1st yet... so, I guess not?

I can only hope the comments on that article are also part of the joke.