North Korea (Washington Insider Magazine) -North Korea is a country starving for energy. The satellite footage of the country after dark shows that the country goes dark at night. North Korea was not always a struggling country but started to face an energy crisis after Japan lost World War II and withdrew from the Korean Peninsula. The Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States had partitioned the peninsula across the 38th Parallel. While all the neighbors of North Korea glow at night the country remains steadfastly in the dark bar.
Why North Korea Is Dark At Night?
North Korea is dark at night but the country is facing an energy crisis. The low electricity production has resulted in the country going dark at night. who have visited North Korea have reported to the rest of the world on North Korea is dark at night. Regular power outages are one of the major problems in the country. A picture released by NASA from the International Space Station has confirmed the problem by country is facing.
The neighbors South Korea and China remain to glow at night and this is when North Korea remains in total darkness. The one bright spot in the middle is the capital Pyongyang. The power outages in the country are also the reason why the country stays dark.
“In this north-looking view, it is immediately obvious that greater Seoul is a major city and that the port of Gunsan is minor by comparison,” NASA said in a statement.
“North Korea is almost completely dark compared to neighboring South Korea and China. The darkened land appears as if it were a patch of water joining the Yellow Sea to the Sea of Japan.”
NASA also pointed out that the coastlines in most countries are lit up due to the people living near the sea but North Korea doesn’t have any coastline because of the lack of artificial light. The North Korean authorities have given priority to the arms industry for electricity and have been supplying power for more than 18 hours each day.
The electricity supply in the households of North Korea has shortened further these days. According to a reliable source in the Yanggang Province, the province receives an electricity supply for six hours per day on average. When at its worse the supply reduces to only two hours.”
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Does North Korea Have Electricity?
North Korea, relies heavily on hydroelectric power, and it provides less electricity in the winter season than in the summer season. In recent years the supply shortage has been more acute than usual. The country is facing a serious shortage of electricity and this is the major reason why the country is dark at night.
North Korea’s electricity shortages are one of the most chronic problems that have continued for several decades. The inequality in electricity allocation has also been worse in the last few years. Around 26% of North Korea’s population has access to electricity in 2019.
There is only 11% of the population in rural areas that receives electricity. Only 36% of North Korea’s urban population has access to electricity in that year. Due to the decrease in the daily electricity supply and inconsistent supplies of electricity, North Koreans have faced days where there was zero-electricity usage.
North Korea Leadership Is Aware Of The Energy Crisis
North Korean leadership Is very much aware of its energy crisis. In his 2019 New Year’s address, Kim Jong Un confronted that the country should consider the problem of easing the strain on electricity. He shared that the country is planning for the construction of hydroelectric power stations including Orangchon and Tanchon power stations.
A lot of measures have been taken to enhance the capacity for generating tidal, wind, and atomic power. This has been a far-reaching plan and the supreme leader is telegraphing his energy policy and signaling to the world about the ways he is looking for improving the condition. The production of new plants is costly, and it is even more difficult in the floundering economy.
This speech directly mentioned that “atomic power”—is known as a nuclear power. Nuclear power is considered to be relatively safe and cheap. It is also a clean form of energy and new steps are being taken to produce more electricity in the country.
However, experts say that North Korea is not using its nuclear programs to produce more energy. Russia has not offered North Korea a nuclear power plant but the country has been making disarmament conversations to ensure that the transfer becomes successful.
