Staying with North Korea,... the reclusive
state has been suffering from a chronic shortage
of electricity for years,... with many parts
of the country...
seeing power outages on a regular basis.
But according to new reports,... the power
situation in the North is actually *improving...
despite a slew of new economic sanctions on
the regime.
Yu Joonhee reports.
The UN Security Council's sanctions were expected
to make life much tougher in North Korea,...
but the country is now generating more electricity
than ever before.
Ironically, this is being attributed to the
global export ban on North Korean coal,...
forcing the commodity to be redirected to
the country's coal-fired power plants.
(Korean)
"We believe North Korea's thermal plants are
receiving large supplies of coal, since it
can no longer be sold to China."
Pyongyang has also made efforts,... to upgrade
and expand its power infrastructure... with
a particular focus on hydroelectric generators.
This may have also allowed the reclusive nation
to restart factory operations at the joint,
inter-Korean industrial complex in Kaesong...
which was shut down by Seoul in February 2016.
(Korean)
"We are aware North Korea is now running a
small, hydroelectric generator near the Kaesong
Industrial Zone."
In recent years, North Korea has completed
the construction of several hydroelectric
power plants,... the work on which started
more than two decades ago.
As a result, the country's total power output
has grown... from around 30 terawatts in the
mid-90s',... to almost 43 terawatts in 2009.
Pyongyang is also making efforts to diversify
its power sources,... aiming to generate more
electricity from solar plants and renewable
energy.
North Korea has been buying large numbers
of solar panels... from its closest ally China
at heavily-discounted prices... as they are
unaffected by international sanctions.
Yu Joonhee, Arirang News.
