{"id":4289,"date":"2019-07-26T19:00:59","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T10:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=4289"},"modified":"2019-07-29T12:40:15","modified_gmt":"2019-07-29T03:40:15","slug":"power-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2019\/07\/recommendations\/power-play\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside N. Korea\uff1e Power Play: Is China Responsible for Returning Electricity to Border Residents?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Photo) A woman washes clothes in the Yalu River. Only the wealthy can afford an electric washing machine. Photographed from the Chinese side in July 2017 by ISHIMARU Jiro (ASIAPRESS)<\/p><\/div>\n

An ASIAPRESS investigation found that the supply of electricity to residential districts in the northern region of North Korea is improving. Since November of last year, the power supply had been totally shut off across wide stretches of residential areas, with \u2018power-saving\u2019 measures instituted in multiple cities. (Kang Ji-won\/ISHIMARU Jiro)<\/p>\n

ASIAPRESS surveyed reporting partners residing in Ryanggang Province, North Hamkyung Province, and Pyongyang in mid-July to learn about the power situation of residential areas.<\/p>\n

The survey found that conditions in Hoeryong City have improved slowly since mid-May and electricity is now being supplied for roughly 4-6 hours each day- for 2 hours at a time. Electricity is available for a whole 6 hours only on Saturdays. For industrial purposes, meanwhile, electricity is being supplied for at least 10 hours each day. For residential areas, though, electricity is being supplied at 110V, so transformers must be used.<\/p>\n

In Ryanggang Province, the city of Hyesan has also seen improvements since late May, with electricity being supplied for an average of 7 hours a day since early June, often times being available for up to 10 hours.<\/p>\n

One reporting partner described neighboring residents\u2019 delight at being able to finally \u2018live like people\u2019 again, saying, \u201cElectricity was first supplied to the Samjiyeon tourist zone construction site but has since been diverted, temporarily, to residential areas. However, there are also regions where transformers are not working and zero electricity is being supplied.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though the capital, Pyongyang, has always been supplied with electricity as a priority and has not been subjected to \u2018power-saving\u2019 measures, it too has experienced difficulties. For the past 6 months, Pyongyang\u2019s working-class could only use 4-6 hours of electricity per day- though the situation is said to have improved since the end of May.<\/p>\n

A reporting partner who left Pyongyang for China, told ASIAPRESS, \u201cIt\u2019s inconvenient because the electricity is usually supplied between 8 p.m. and early morning, however, it has improved a bit recently. During the daytime, the electricity is being used to operate pumps, as part of the drought countermeasures.\u201d<\/p>\n

The reason behind the improved power situation is not totally clear. However, a reporting partner in Pyongyang reported hearing that \u201cChina is supplying us with electricity produced by hydroelectric power plants along the Yalu River.\u201d<\/p>\n

North Korea also suffered from severe power shortages last year, before the situation suddenly improved in June and July, exactly as it did again this year. At the time, intelligence agencies and experts in South Korea hypothesized that the improvement was due to \u201cpower from the Sup'ung Dam hydroelectric plant being supplied to North Korea free of charge\u201d.
\nNext page : Crudely calculated electricity bills\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Map of North Korea<\/p><\/div>\n

\u25c6 Crudely calculated electricity bills<\/h2>\n

A common problem faced by all 3 surveyed regions is the lack of electricity meters for calculating household power consumption. The authorities have been attempting to install meters for every house since last year, but the prohibitive 30 USD price of each meter would have had to have been paid by each household. In the end, the plan could not be carried out after it met strong opposition from residents dissatisfied with the unreliable power supply.<\/p>\n

As the meters were not installed, officials in charge of electricity distribution have to go door-to-door, cataloguing the appliances owned by each household and making crude calculations of each home\u2019s estimated power consumption. This primitive billing system is still in effect.<\/p>\n

A reporting partner in Pyongyang complained of the system, saying, \u201cThe electricity distribution department always quarrels with residents because they set the rates entirely at their discretion. Lately, we\u2019ve been paying 5,000 won a month for our house.\u201d<\/p>\n

The authorities have announced, however, that meters for calculating exact power consumption will soon be required nationwide, starting from September\/October.<\/p>\n

\u203b ASIAPRESS contacts its reporting partners in North Korea through smuggled Chinese mobile phones.<\/p>\n

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