North Korea is reeling under a serious electricity crisis, thanks to years of natural disasters. Many put the blame of this shortage on the failure of the us to implement a us $4.6 billion nuclear reactor project.

According to the country's official Korea Central News Agency (kcna), "The power shortage is seriously affecting the North's overall economy and its people.'

"The shortage of electricity is so acute that it is difficult to normally operate factories and enterprises. Heating and supply of drinking water are also hit. Worse still, the power crisis has crippled lighting facilities in public buildings and apartment houses ,' it said.

The process of rice threshing and polishing has come to a standstill, thereby aggravating the food problem.