Korea, North

Environmental Conditions

Located in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and bordering on the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, North Korea has a coastline of 1,547 miles. The climate is temperate, and rainfall usually occurs only in the summer. In the late spring, droughts may be followed by severe flooding. Occasional typhoons are possible in the early fall. The terrain is generally comprised of hills and mountains interspersed with deep, narrow valleys, but wide plains fill the landscape along the coast.

Specific information on environmental problems in North Korea is sketchy because of the closed society. In August 2003, the North Korean government published its first State of the Environment report, written by the National Coordinating Council for the Environment, which was made up of 20 government and academic agencies who worked with UN officials to assess North Korea's environment. The report revealed that the major environmental problems include water pollution, deforestation, and soil erosion and land degradation.

With almost three-fourths of land area covered by forests, deforestation has accelerated in response to commercial logging, fuelwood, agricultural clearing, and insects and fires in times of drought. Only 2.6 percent of the land is protected by the government, and biological diversity has diminished with at least 13 endemic mammal species and 19 endemic bird species in danger of extinction. Over 60 percent of the people live in urban areas. Consequently, waste [Page 990]management and energy consumption are of major concern. Untreated water and sewage is discharged directly into rivers. Soil deterioration has been a direct response to natural disasters, deforestation, and the use of chemicals in industry and agriculture. Although the entire population technically has access to safe drinking water, there is a shortage of potable water. Forty-one percent of the population does not have access to improved sanitation, and food and waterborne diseases are common.

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