H1 2026 Evaluation
North Korea Reservoir Transparency
F1Opaque — Ranked #148 out of 167 countries
weight 30%
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weight 15%
weight 13%
weight 10%
weight 8%
weight 5%
Primary source evaluated
No publicly accessible national reservoir data source — KCNA (state media) only
http://www.kcna.kpDimension breakdown
Data Availability
20% of total score
North Korea is the world's most closed state and publishes zero reservoir or hydrological data of any kind. The country operates a significant network of hydroelectric dams including Supung Dam on the Yalu River (shared with China; reservoir ~14.6 km³), Pujon Reservoir, Jangjin, Hocheon, and the Tanchon Power Station complex. None of these have public data portals, monitoring websites, or published level readings. KCNA (state media) reports on hydropower production only in propagandistic terms with no quantitative hydrological content. The DPRK does not report to WMO, GRDC, or any international hydrological data exchange.
Technical Accessibility
15% of total score
No data format, portal, API, or downloadable dataset exists or has ever been offered by the DPRK for reservoir or hydrological data. The internet is not accessible to the North Korean public and foreign access to internal networks is prohibited. All external knowledge of DPRK reservoir operations comes from satellite imagery analysis (38 North, Planet Labs) and Chinese co-management data for Supung Dam — neither of which is a North Korean publication.
Coverage
30% of total score
Zero reservoirs are covered by any public national data system. North Korea operates dozens of hydropower reservoirs across its mountainous terrain, but their locations, capacities, and operational states were historically inaccurate in international databases because of the complete information blockade. Satellite remote sensing has corrected some spatial data, but operational water-level data remains entirely inaccessible.
Historical Depth
13% of total score
No historical reservoir data from DPRK sources exists in the public domain. Japanese-era colonial records (pre-1945) of Supung Dam construction exist in South Korean and Japanese archives, but these are not published by the DPRK and cover only physical infrastructure, not operational water levels. Post-1945 historical data is entirely absent from public record.
Update Frequency
10% of total score
No publication cycle of any kind exists. The 2009 Hwanggang Dam release — which killed six South Koreans without warning — is the canonical illustration of the DPRK's non-publication approach: not only is there no public data, there is no notification protocol even for downstream neighbours facing immediate flood risk.
Methodological Transparency
8% of total score
No measurement methodology, monitoring standards, or quality-control documentation has ever been published by the DPRK for reservoir operations. Foreign access near sensitive infrastructure is entirely prohibited; visitors are guided by state handlers and prohibited from photographing or deviating near hydro facilities.
Language and Usability
5% of total score
Korean is the sole official language of North Korea and is not a widely spoken international language. Even if data were published, it would require translation for the vast majority of international users. The minimal score (above absolute zero) reflects the existence of a functioning writing system and the fact that Korean is accessible to approximately 80 million speakers on the Korean Peninsula and diaspora — but this is irrelevant given the total absence of any data.
Evaluator notes
North Korea is in a category of its own within the RTI framework. It is not simply a country with weak institutions — it is a totalitarian state that treats hydraulic infrastructure as a state secret and has demonstrated willingness to release dam water without warning, causing cross-border deaths in South Korea. Supung Dam on the Yalu River, co-operated with China, is the country's largest reservoir at approximately 14.6 km³ total capacity; China operates its share of the power plant but data sharing with North Korea is opaque and no public data is released by either party for the DPRK side. The international community monitors North Korean water infrastructure exclusively through satellite imagery analysis. Organisations such as 38 North regularly publish satellite-based assessments of DPRK dam operations, reservoir fill estimates, and construction activity — but these are entirely external, not North Korean publications. The RTI score reflects the hard floor of the index: in principle, a score of 1 across all dimensions represents not the absence of infrastructure, but the active suppression of data about infrastructure that undeniably exists. North Korea is the clearest possible illustration of why reservoir transparency matters for regional security and downstream populations.
Evaluated by Jaime Delgado · 2026-09-15 · Methodology v1.3.0