As the Korean Peninsula faces one of its most severe cold spells in recent years, the impact on daily lives in North Korea has been profound. Temperatures have plummeted to record lows, with Pyongyang experiencing minus 16 degrees Celsius and even colder in mountainous regions like Mount Paektu on the border with China. State media has recorded some four degrees Celsius below seasonal averages and has issued cold weather alerts across the country, urging North Koreans to properly insulate their homes and make sure objects are not blown away in the strong winds. While South Koreans have access to modern heating solutions, the situation in its northern neighbor is starkly different.
A LONG HISTORY OF FOOD SCARCITY
North Korea has long struggled with food shortages, exacerbated by extreme weather conditions. The country’s agricultural sector is heavily dependent on seasonal conditions as Pyongyang faces difficulties securing sufficient fertilizer to improve crop yields, thus any deviation in weather can lead to significant crop failures. As a result, the recent cold spells would only worsen the already dire food situation, leading to a rise in food prices and making basic staples like corn and rice even harder to obtain. Since the scarcity of food has historically led to devastating famines, such as the famine in the 1990s which resulted in the death of an estimated two to three million people, the current crisis is likely no exception.
In previous years, winter seasons have led to mass disappearances of people. Not only do large numbers of homeless beggars, or kotjebi, starve to death, even the employed would desert their homes and workplaces to hunt and fish in remote areas because they could not afford to buy food, with many of them reportedly gone missing. Radio Free Asia reported that after a worker, identified only by his surname Kim, who was suffering from malnutrition, left his home in search of food, the country’s social security department labelled him, along with five other missing people, as wanted persons. Although many of these people were merely searching for food in “remote areas to avoid starving to death,” the authorities marked them as criminals trying to defect to China.
KEEPING WARM AND RISKING LIVES
Heating facilities are inadequate in North Korea during the winter months, even in the capital city of Pyongyang. In their desperate bid to stay warm, many North Koreans have resorted to makeshift heating solutions. Burning coal indoors became a common practice despite the obvious dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning – a silent killer that claims many lives each winter. It is common knowledge that carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause sudden dizziness and death, but for families seeking warmth in their enclosed homes, it is a risk that many North Koreans who cannot afford modern heating systems are forced to take.
Despite sitting atop vast coal reserves, North Korea faces a bizarre energy paradox. Even in coal-rich provinces like South Pyongan, Hamgyeong, Jagang, and Ryanggang, residents shiver through winters fueled by low-grade brown and anthracite coal. Meanwhile, for those outside these mining hubs, coal is a luxury mainly because North Korea prioritizes coal exports, leaving its own people to pay exorbitant prices—prices that often double due to the country's unreliable, electricity-starved rail system.
For North Koreans outside the coal-mining areas, staying warm means relying on whatever they can find. Many turn to gathering firewood from nearby forests and mountains. One defector told NKNews that wood is the primary fuel for over 70% of the population, with coal being a distant second. This reliance on firewood is even acknowledged in North Korea's own laws, which state that local authorities must ensure farmers have enough wood to burn. But the reality is that such a promise is not enforced by the government. Thus, it became common to see children from rural villages dragging tree trunks or carrying firewood on their backs in the mountains. However, as more people began to illegally cut trees to resolve the fuel problem on their own, the country suffered from severe deforestation even after their leader, Kim Jong-un, came to power and pushed for reforestation.
Unfortunately, the North Korean government’s response to the crisis has been lackluster at best. In yet another unrealistic move, the authorities encouraged the use of alternative fuels such as solar-powered heating. Nevertheless, while a few high-ranking officials and wealthy families have managed to acquire Chinese or smuggled South Korean solar panels, most common people simply cannot afford them. As a result, the most vulnerable North Koreans do not receive any support despite the record cold, leaving many to feel abandoned and hopeless.
