It's not that far fetched. Even shitty countries can and usually do have programs to train a small subset of the population at the world level if that's necessary to achieve some goals of the rulers.
I remember watching a documentary where they toured North Korea. They went into the computer lab at their university, trying to show off how they were keeping up with technology. All of the people in there were just staring at the screens. I don't think they had internet access or any of them knew how to use a computer, it was just a façade. The one person they spoke to had no idea what he was talking about and looked kind of terrified.
They went into the computer lab at their university
That's civilian; the military is a whole 'nother story:
From a Reuters story about the Sony hack [0]:
Military hackers are among the most talented, and rewarded, people in North Korea, handpicked and trained from as young as 17, said Jang Se-yul, who studied with them at North Korea's military college for computer science, or the University of Automation, before defecting to the South six years ago.
Speaking to Reuters in Seoul, he said the Bureau 121 unit comprises about 1,800 cyber-warriors, and is considered the elite of the military.
"For them, the strongest weapon is cyber. In North Korea, it’s called the Secret War," Jang said.
One of his friends works in an overseas team of the unit, and is ostensibly an employee of a North Korean trading firm, Jang said. Back home, the friend and his family have been given a large state-allocated apartment in an upscale part of Pyongyang, Jang said.
