Case Study of a Rural Energy Survey in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Methods, Results, and Implications

This article discusses the result of the rural energy survey performed in the village of Unhari in North Korea by a joint team of U.S. and DPRK researchers. The survey is believed to be the first household energy survey ever conducted in North Korea according to international standards. The initial survey was carried out in September and October 1998; additional informal interviews with residents and village leaders were conducted in a subsequent visit two years later. This report presents the setting of, methods used in, and overall results of the Unhari rural energy survey, provides analysis of survey results, and discusses potential “next steps” in carrying out surveys of this type in the DPRK. The results of the survey provided a great deal of insight into the energy needs of rural communities in the DPRK, and showed the usefulness of conducting such surveys in other areas of the country where energy-efficiency and/or renewable energy measures might be implemented. Implementing energy efficiency measures on an ongoing basis in the DPRK requires re-thinking and creative adaptation of the methods used to encourage energy-efficiency and renewable energy in other countries.