The train stopped due to a black out. There are portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il at the back. June 2005. Taken by Lee Joon(ASIAPRESS)
The majority of electricity in North Korea is generated by Hydroelectric power. Droughts in autumn and frozen rivers in winter cause the lack of water to generate the electricity. It is not clear whether the power shortage since October this year is due to the inefficient hydro generation or different causes.
Related Article: Truck falls into reservoir due to heavy snow, leaving 19 dead in the northern part of Ryanggang Province
In the past, it was normal that the North Korea railway system goes down. However, the situation had been improved since around 2013 after Kim Jong-un took over the regime. At worst, trains were delayed only a few days, and death in a stopped train was unheard-of for a long time. Therefore, the worsened power supply in this autumn, crippling the railway system, was unexpected.
On the other hand, the international railway connecting Pyongyang and China has been running every day according to a reporting partner in Dandong, China.
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* Editor’s notes on North Korean reporters
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