North Korea's environmental policies
North Korea's environmental policies have evolved amidst a backdrop of significant historical and political changes since the country's establishment in 1948. Initially focusing on heavy industry as part of a centralized, planned economy, North Korea saw a rise in industrial production that contributed to severe environmental degradation, particularly in the decades following the Korean War. Pollution became a pressing issue, prompting the introduction of the Environmental Protection Law in 1986 and the establishment of the State Environmental Protection Bureau in 1996 to enforce regulations on air and water quality.
Despite these efforts, the nation continues to struggle with environmental challenges, primarily due to its emphasis on industrial growth over ecological considerations and limited investment in sustainable practices. North Korea's reliance on coal, which is high in sulfur and used extensively for energy production, has resulted in significant greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Although the country has ratified international agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol and has recognized the importance of improving its environmental management, the competing demands of economic self-reliance and national security complicate progress.
In recent years, there have been signs of a pragmatic shift towards embracing foreign economic cooperation and environmental initiatives, as North Korea seeks external support to mitigate its economic hardships. However, the balance between economic development and environmental protection remains a critical challenge for the nation.
North Korea's environmental policies
Historical and Political Context
In the aftermath of World War II in 1945, Korea was divided into two countries in accordance with a United Nations arrangement. North of the 38th parallel, the North Korean government, or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), was formally established in 1948. The Korean Workers Party, supported by the Soviet Union, became a ruling party. The government established a centralizing system and nationalized all properties. Economic activities were conducted under state control. In June 1950, North Korea entered the Korean War against South Korea, and the war lasted until July 1953. After the war, the North Korean government emphasized heavy industry along with a centralized, planned economy.
North Korea developed a political ideology, Juche (self-reliance), whose goal was to strengthen the country economically and militarily in order to make North Korea immune to foreign invasion and capitalist intervention. This ideology has prevented the nation from keeping technological pace with other industrialized countries and has made North Korea one of the poorest nations in the world.
In 1994, Kim Jung-il succeeded his father, Kim Il-sung, as general secretary of the Korean Workers Party. In July 2002, North Korea started to open its border and to adopt capitalism. The government set up a free-trade zone near its border with China. However, the government still maintained a firm political control of the economy and denied access to foreign media. North Korea declared that it had developed nuclear weapons, and six-party talks began that were aimed at finding a peaceful means to curb the North Korean nuclear program.
Impact of North Korean Policies on Climate Change
After the Korean War, the government moved toward a command economy and nationalized all assets. Since then, all economic activities have been conducted under state control. The centralized, planned economy grew significantly in industrial production and made significant progress in social infrastructure. The government has consistently promoted economic development policies that place top priority on heavy industry, including electricity production, steel production, and machine building. In turn, unreasonably one-sided promotion of heavy industry has deepened structural imbalances between North Korean industries. This “heavy industry first” policy has made North Korea unable to catch up to new technological developments or to phase out its coal-and-steel-based economy. The government also pursues military strength while striving to develop its economy.
In the 1970s, environmental pollution became a serious issue after two decades of industrialization emphasizing heavy industry and reckless development of natural resources. However, the government did not regulate this pollution until the 1986 Environmental Protection Law, established to prevent pollution and promote environmental preservation. Other environmental policies have also been implemented to establish air and water pollution standards. In 1996, the government established the State Environmental Protection Bureau to implement the Environmental Protection Law. North Korea has also participated in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since 1992.
In spite of North Korea’s efforts to restore its environment, environmental degradation in the country is getting worse. This is primarily because of the government’s policies emphasizing development in areas of heavy industries and an increase in food production, rather than environmental protection, as well as the lack of investment in the environment due to the weak economy.
North Korea as a GHG Emitter
The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) reported that North Korea emitted almost 72 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG), in equivalent, in 2004. The CO2 emission as a percent of global CO2 production is about 0.3 percent. CO2 emissions of North Korea had been significantly increased by the early 1990s. Then, the emission sharply decreased; it stabilized in the early twenty-first century. CO2 emission is primarily from the manufacturing industries and construction sector (78.6 percent), as well as the electricity and heat-production sector (15.9 percent). Less than 5 percent of CO2 emission is from transportation and residential use.
Because of its self-reliance policy, North Korea avoids dependency on foreign energy sources, but it heavily relies on its own coal as a primary source of energy. By 2022, North Korea produced 16.30 million tons of coal, a 4.5 percent increase from 2021. North Korea uses coal with high sulfur content to produce heat and to generate electricity. Therefore, besides CO2, other air pollutant emissions such as SOx are also significant.
However, the use of obsolete industrial technology with poor energy efficiency, lack of exhaust gas purification technology, and lack of renewable energy alternatives induces a great deal of GHG emission. North Korea’s inability to deal with this GHG emission, even from its power plants and refineries, has led to accelerated air and water pollution.
To cooperate in international efforts to protect the global environment, North Korea ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2005. The government has also signed several international environmental agreements, such as the Convention of Biological Diversity. The government established the State Environmental Protection Bureau to implement environmental laws and regulations.
Summary and Foresight
North Korean environmental degradation results from enforcement of misguided economic policies, such as putting heavy industry first and engaging in the parallel development of military strength and the economy. Furthermore, North Korea’s self-reliance ideology rendered the government unable to carry out reforms of its closed economy. However, North Korea has recognized the serious environmental degradation that has taken place over the past several decades. By adjusting its legal and administrative framework, the government has designated environmental protection as a priority over all other productive practices. The government established environmental laws and regulations and improved environment management systems.
North Korea has demonstrated its willingness to engage with the global community through organs such as UNEP to protect its environment. The government also attempts to strengthen cooperation with international societies such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in order to overcome economic hardship, to acquire economic support, and to lift the economy. The nation has adopted a pragmatic strategy. The government also emphasizes the need for foreign trade and economic cooperation with other nations. Proclamation of a Free Economic Zone and enactment of the Law on Attraction of Foreign Investment are good examples of the recent changes in North Korea. The country, however, continues its self-reliance policy and confronts contradictions between protection of national security and economic development, although diplomatic relations are active. Thus, the government needs to make internal changes to facilitate and acquire international support.
Because of a lack of energy, economic growth in North Korea may need to scarify its environment like other developing countries, developing abundant but poor-quality coals to meet energy demands. International organizations also need to respond to North Korea’s effort to protect its environment by supporting the improvement of North Korea’s economic condition and by establishing environmental cooperation to promote environmental infrastructure, such as clean coal combustion, purification technologies, and renewable energy alternatives.
Key Facts
- Population: 25 million (2016 estimate)
- Area: 120,538 square kilometers
- Gross domestic product (GDP): $40 billion (purchasing power parity, 2014 estimate)
- Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in millions of metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e): 63.69 in 2010
- Kyoto Protocol status: Ratified 2005
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