Good day sunshine

By John Burton

One of the puzzles about North Korea is that while it has the scientific talent to make nuclear bombs and missiles and launch satellites, it has trouble developing and adopting basic technology for everyday use.

Many critics would argue that this shows Pyongyang's emphasis on defense technology at the expense of civilian uses. But if that is the case, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's speech at the Workers' Party plenary in late December signaled it was time for a change.

Kim said there should be a renewed focus on science and technology to improve the economy. This appeared to be an acknowledgement that international sanctions are unlikely to end soon and that North Korea needs to develop technological solutions to survive. This would include ways to solve electricity shortages and raise agricultural production. Kim noted the need to raise crop yields by "actively introducing scientific farming methods."

Kim's emphasis on scientific solutions for civilian use reflects his announcement several years ago to replace the songun "military first" policy of his father with the byongjin policy of "parallel development" of the economy and military.

One likely area of this new focus would be the introduction of information technology in business and manufacturing. The push to develop a digital economy may try to mimic more advanced efforts in China. But it could stumble because international sanctions limit importing advanced technology, while North Korea's closed internet operations discourages innovation.

A more practical solution would be to focus on simple technology that potentially has a greater impact on the economy and society. One such transformative technology is the solar panel.

In the last five years, North Koreans have embraced solar panels as a backup to the unstable national power grid. An estimated 55 percent of households are equipped with the panels, although solar energy still accounts for less than 0.1 percent of the country's total generation capacity of 7,700 megawatts.

The solar panel boom was triggered by imports from China, the world's biggest panel producer. Due to a global glut, prices for panels have fallen by 40 per cent over the last few years to as low as $15 for a 30-watt panel sold in North Korea.

But since late 2017, U.N. sanctions have banned exports of panels to North Korea as they are considered a "dual-use" technology that could also benefit the military. It is assumed that North Korea still imports Chinese-made panels given the leakiness of the sanctions regime, although probably at less volume than earlier.

What is unclear is whether local North Korean production is making up for the shortfall from China. Solar panels are relatively easy to produce because they are usually made from a few key components ― silicon solar cells, a metal frame, glass sheet for casing, and wiring.

It is uncertain how much of these materials that North Korea can produce on its own since many of them are also subject to sanctions. But it is apparent that the country has at least some access to the materials based on reports of local production.

Focusing on increasing solar panel production would have rippling social benefits. This is shown by the growth of solar energy among North Koreans, who initially used solar panels to recharge their mobile phones and light their homes.

The availability of solar panels has now encouraged North Koreans to buy more electronic appliances, including rice cookers, water purifiers, computer laptops and LED TVs, raising living standards, especially in the cities.

Solar power is also increasingly powering schools, offices and factories as well as fueling the growth in nighttime entertainment venues in Pyongyang and elsewhere as they reduce their dependence on diesel generators in favor of solar energy.

Another spin-off of solar panels is seen in the poorer countryside, where pedal-assisted electric bicycles are becoming a common sight. Solar panels enable the batteries of the electric bicycles to be regularly charged in areas that often suffer losses of electricity.

The availability of electric bicycles improves transport options for rural residents who normally lack public transport and improves access to jobs and education. But like the solar panels themselves, the electric bicycles must be smuggled in from China because they are also subject to U.N. sanctions.

Solar panels clearly have humanitarian benefits for North Korea, while helping support the push for renewable energy. Placing them under a blanket U.N. sanctions ban potentially poses unforeseen and damaging consequences for the population.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has recently spoken of the need for inter-Korean cooperation to pave the way for easing the sanctions regime and help break the deadlock in denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington. South Korea is one of the world's biggest producers of solar panels, so solar energy might be a good place to start.

John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant.