North Korean Government Urges Pulling TV Plugs to Save Electricity, Public Sings in Protest

North Korea has long been facing electricity shortages, with some areas only receiving one hour of electricity per day. In an effort to save electricity and alleviate economic pressure, the government has urged citizens to unplug their televisions when not in use. However, the public remains skeptical of the government’s claims, believing that saving a small amount of electricity will not be enough to revive the country’s struggling economy.

According to Radio Free Asia, electronic devices that are plugged in consume a small amount of electricity even when not in use. Devices like televisions consume about 5% of their operating power when on standby.

Residents in North Korea have reported that a television set consumes approximately 2 watts of electricity per hour when on standby. Despite this, they feel that unplugging their TVs will not make a significant difference in improving the country’s weakened economy.

A resident in Ryanggang Province stated, “The authorities claim that the country’s electricity shortage is due to ‘illegally excessive usage,’ and insist on eliminating this phenomenon.”

The resident revealed that the Workers’ Party of Korea asserts that the public’s belief that paying electricity bills entitles them to unlimited electricity usage at home is a misconception. The party claims that even 1 watt of electricity is a valuable asset for the nation, thus requesting citizens to unplug their televisions. However, people are resisting this mandate, arguing that the country does not provide sufficient electricity and should not make such demands.

The resident pointed out that almost no region in North Korea can provide electricity around the clock. Rolling blackouts are common, with electricity only supplied for a few hours in the morning and evening in some places, typically during breakfast and dinner times.

A resident in Pyongan Province stated that there is only about an hour of electricity supply per day in their area. “In certain cities, electricity is supplied multiple times a day, with each session lasting 10 minutes, totaling to around an hour.”

The resident expressed skepticism that the Workers’ Party’s measure to unplug television sets would have any effect. “No one believes that simply unplugging their TVs at home can save the collapsed national economy.”

According to South Korean news website Daily NK, the issue of electricity shortages in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, is severe and causing disruptions to people’s daily lives.

A source in Pyongyang informed the website that during July and August, their area only received electricity about four times a week, with each session lasting roughly an hour, leading to widespread power cuts in some central city families.

Furthermore, elevators in high-rise apartments (20 floors or above) are only powered for about two hours a day during rush hours, requiring residents to rely on stairs for the rest of the time.

Despite efforts by North Korean authorities to address the electricity shortage issue through various means such as using renewable energy, it remains a challenging task.

The source mentioned, “Renewable energy is not a fundamental solution because it is insufficient to meet the electricity needs of the entire city.”

The source added that Pyongyang is the capital and “heart” of North Korea and a symbol of the nation. To utilize renewable energy, the regime must seek funding and technical expertise from overseas to modernize the country’s aging power generation facilities and distribution networks.