North Korea regularly threatens to annihilate the USA, South Korea and Japan but their latest attempt to get ahead in these war games may raise some eyebrows.
Kim’s hermit state is now aiming to develop a key advantage using an unusual fuel source: pond scum.
Algae can help produce oil when cultivated correctly, something which could prove increasingly important as North Korea faces more and more international sanctions.
According to North Korea observers 38 North, algae could become a “strategic resource” for the rogue state.
A recent article by the Washington-based group said algae provides both nutrients and biofuel.
Brandon Jacobs wrote: “Algae is not normally thought of as a strategic resource. Maritime fishermen dread the algal bloom; it is commonly called pond scum and it can clog filters and drains.
“But algae could become a strategic resource for North Korea, which is isolated from sources of fuel and lacks sufficient nutrition or fertiliser.”
He said 25 acres of land had recently been developed near Wonsan, where ponds were “dug, irrigated and cultivated”.
This new site, he said, would only produce up to 600 barrels of oil per year but reflected the country’s growing reliance on ‘Juche’ – self-sufficiency.
Mr Jacobs wrote: “North Korea’s adherence to the philosophy of Juche often drives it to invest large amounts of capital on projects that would otherwise seem futile in a free market economy with global access – for example, it attempted in the early 1980s to reclaim and irrigate 300,000 hectares of tideland for agricultural use.
“Historical Google Earth satellite imagery shows numerous locations of open ponds and even raceways for algae growth dating back to the early 2000s.”
He said, along with the Wonsan site, there were several others across North Korea where algae production is believed to be taking place. Between them more than 4,000 barrels of oil can be produced every year.
38 North concluded its report by warning more attention should be given to the country’s algae project. Ignoring it would simply compromise the impact of any sanctions.
READ MORE: Does North Korea have chemical weapons?
Mr Jacobs concluded: “Not enough attention has been given to the algae production of a country not known for its green policies.
“The purpose of that algae is not immediately clear, but it is a multipurpose resource that can be used to produce food, fertiliser, feedstock and fuel all from the same biomass.
“Such a resource could certainly have strategic value for North Korea and could, over time, mitigate the negative effects of sanctions both on the country’s energy supply and food security.”