The much-anticipated arrival of spring here
in South Korea means people can finally venture out to get some sun. On sunny
days like today, this reporter is reminded of her life back in North Korea,
gazing intently at the solar panels affixed to the roof of her house, worried
the sunlight would ebb or that someone would take off with the equipment. It became an obsession, checking multiple times until the author could finally relax. It sounds odd, perhaps, but it’s not really—the
amount of energy stored on those panels determines whether or not one can turn
on the lights or secretly watch foreign media content banned by the North
Korean authorities.
Power shortages have wreaked havoc on the
North since the 1990s, and with the turn of the century, the innovative,
resourceful residents of North Korea have been using their own means to find
solutions to this problem. Prior to 2010, people got their hands on car or
military tank batteries by any means possible and used them to power most
everything. Since then, however, solar panels have largely replaced this
method.
As people are now able to produce their own
power, they overwhelming feel that solar panels, available at markets across the country,
are providing a solution for the shortage in electricity – a problem for which even
the Marshal [Kim Jong Eun] failed to find any viable solutions. For many, solar
panels are the most treasured items they own, “providing them with far more
practical benefits than the Marshal,” they say.
Installing a Chinese-manufactured solar panel
on the roof of one’s home or in the front yard and charging it for eight hours
a day yields enough electricity to power a 12V light and television. Some
prepare for overcast days by purchasing two panels. These devices are not
unique to only the most affluent circles—even those in the lowest socioeconomic
classes of North Korea go to extremes to buy them, regarding them as a conduit through which they can access entertainment and information from the outside world.
In the early 21st century, solar panels
were just for Party cadres and the donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More [new affluent middle-class], but now
roughly 40 percent of urban residents reportedly own them. The panels sold in
North Korean markets are produced mostly either in Beijing or Shanghai. A 10W
panel sells for 80 RMB, while a 30W costs 240RMB, a 50W is 400RMB, and a 100W
product fetches 800RMB.
After saving up for a year, people can have
a solar panel installed on their roofs; those who manage to do this– in their eyes–feel they “have it all.” Watching television or listening to the radio by solar energy was a luxury only available to
cadre and donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More, but the fact that most everyone can do so now gives people a great sense of accomplishment and pride. Many find themselves letting off steam into the wee hours of the night, watching [illegal according to North Korean law] South Korean programs or listening to shortwave radios,
all thanks to the bump in electricity these panels provide.
With this growing popularity of solar
energy, which has become an integral part of people’s everyday lives, also come
thefts. “Sometimes you’ll wake up the next morning and discover that all the panels
in the neighborhood have been stolen. Those products are circulated on the
black market or used by the burglars. These cases have become so routine that
even security officials turn a blind eye to them,” a source in Sinuiju, North
Pyongan Province said.
To avoid falling victim to these schemes, people have taken to installing security systems that trigger an alarm inside the house if the panels are tampered with. However, like
the saying in Korean, “above one who runs is one who flies,” thieves still often manage to cut the wire and take off with the panels, which sometimes end up being sold to the inhabitants of the next house over.
There’s really only one way to keep the panels
completely safe: when the sun comes up, go out and install them; when evening falls, dismantle them and stow them safely inside. Needless to say, it’s terribly bothersome; however, North Koreans–ever resilient and adaptable–have, unsurprisingly, taken it in stride, adjusting and incorporating this consequence of solar power into another aspect of daily life above the 38th parallel.
*The content of this article was broadcast to the North Korean people via Unification Media Group.
