One estimate, based upon the amount of light oil that could be extracted from North Korea's imports of 1.0 to 1.5 million tons of crude oil annually, indicated that North Korea would have 300,000 tons of light oil to produce gasoline, diesel oil, and aircraft fuel for both civilian and military uses. The lack of fuel is a key factor in North Korea's inability to sustain military operations, especially offensive operations. In the 1990s, the North Korean defense industrial base supporting conventional arms, much like its civilian industrial sector, has fallen victim to the economic crisis. The pervasive lack of fuel, raw materials, transportation infrastructure, and even food for workers, has resulted in a decline in production at defense plants. This has compromised the DPRK's ability to produce material for military operations, as well as new conventional weaponry.
Foodstuffs are also critical to sustaining military operations.
It has been reported that North Korea has a military stockpile of food for wartime purposes probably sufficient for 30 days of offensive operations. South Korea estimates the size of the stockpile to be in the range of 1.2- 1.5 million tons. It is uncertain whether North Korea has drawn down this stockpile in recent years to meet chronic food shortages. Intake of 700-900 grams daily is only slightly above the 450 grams daily that the United Nations cites as the minimum amount of daily food intake for survival. This situation has a deleterious effect on the health, morale, discipline, and combat effectiveness of North Korean armed forces, and on Pyongyang's ability to conduct sustained military operations.