North Korea has a greater range of temperature throughout the year than does south Korea, but south Korea is more exposed than the North to damaging summer typhoons. Floods, droughts, winds, and temperature extremes are some of less predictable weather hazards of peninsular life. Resources and Environment. Korean soils, carefully enhanced during past centuries of subsistence agriculture, remain productive but require careful management. Industrial and energy resources are widely scattered throughout the peninsula, yet are overall inadequate to support a self-sufficient, mature industrial economy.
Coal is available, but petroleum is lacking.
Mountainous terrain suits hydroelectric power development, and much untapped potential remains. Generally speaking, north Korea has more industrial resources than south Korea, and has more variety. Little of Korea's once-magnificent but poorly managed timber resource has survived to the 1990's. Degradation of the forest environment has occurred concomitant with declines and extinctions among Korea's diverse wild floral and faunal resources. Air quality has declined with excessive auto emissions in the cities and increasing pesticide drifts in the countryside.