Key to any economic development in North Korea, or anywhere else, is the electricity that supports expanding commercial and industrial activity.
But the North has a dilapidated, balkanized electric grid made up of a hodgepodge of Cold War-era and repurposed parts running different currents of electricity.
Quite simply, the country cannot power the economic growth Kim Jong Un says he wants with the current power system in place.
Peter Hayes has researched the issue of energy security in North Korea for decades, and sits down with the podcast to talk about electricity, environmentalism, and what it takes to gain mutual trust from North Korean decision-makers.
Professor Peter Hayes is an Honorary Professor at the Center for International Security Studies at Sydney University and Director of the Nautilus Institute in Berkeley, California.
About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists.
Featured image: KCNA