Read a version of this story in Korean
North Korea is advising its people to unplug their TV sets in a nationwide effort to save electricity, but residents complain that the effort won’t amount to much, residents told Radio Free Asia.
Every electronic device plugged into the wall consumes a small amount of electricity, even when not in use. Certain appliances like TVs -- even when turned off -- can consume around 5% of the power it would cost when turned on. North Korean TVs consume about 2 watts per hour when turned off, one of the residents said.
But the residents said they felt like unplugging their TVs would do nothing to fix North Korea’s tattered economy.
“The authorities claim that the country’s scarce electricity is being illegally overused and insist that this phenomenon must be eliminated,” a resident from the northern province of Ryanggang told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
The party told the people that it was a misconception that they could use electricity freely at home if they pay their electric bills, she said.
“They instructed that we should keep in mind that even 1 watt of electricity is a valuable asset for the country, so we should unplug the TV at home,” she said. “But residents are resisting, saying that the state does not provide enough electricity to make demands that we save it.”
She pointed out how there are almost no places across North Korea that receive electricity around the clock. Rolling blackouts are the norm, and in some places, electricity is only available for a few hours in the morning and evening, around breakfast and dinner time.
She acknowledged that power shortages are taking their toll on the country’s economy and causing inconvenience for the people.
“But the country is saying the way to solve this is to engage in the power saving project with a patriotic spirit,” she said.
In the northwestern province of North Pyongan, power is only available for about an hour each day, a resident there told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.
“In some cities, electricity is supplied in several 10-minute bursts each day, adding up to about one hour,” he said. “The party is urging people to make it a habit to conserve even 1 watt of electricity, considering it as a valuable national asset, and each hour a TV consumes 2 watts (when plugged in).”
He said that the initiative would likely have no effect.
“No one believes that the collapsed national economy can be restored by unplugging the TV at home.”
Translated by Leejin J. Chung. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.