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From Space, North Korea Is a Nation in the Dark

<p>Stark illustration of the divide between North and South Korea.</p>
Image: NASA image taken by the Expedition 38 crew aboard the ISS shows night view of the Korean Peninsula
A NASA image released on February 24, 2014 shows a photo taken by the Expedition 38 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on January 30, 2014 of the night view of the Korean Peninsula, and North Korea in the middle is almost completely dark compared to neighboring South Korea (bottom right) and China (top left). The photograph was cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed at source. NASA via Reuters

A photo newly released by NASA starkly illustrates the divide between North and South Korea.

The night view of the Korean Peninsula was taken by the Expedition 38 crew aboard the International Space Station on Jan. 30. North Korea, in the center of the frame, is almost completely dark compared to neighboring South Korea (lower right) and China (upper left). The only significant dot of light comes from Pyongyang, its capital city.

Per capita power consumption in South Korea is 10,162 kilowatt hours, vastly more than North Korea's 739 kilowatt hours, according to figures compiled by the World Bank.