Nuclear power rose spectacularly from 0.4 percent in 1970 to 7.3 percent in 1997, combining with hydro to account for 10 percent of global energy consumption. The NEA region, in contrast, has been heavily dependent on coal for many years. At present, coal accounts for nearly 51.5 percent of the region's total energy consumption, followed by oil at 34.5 percent and natural gas and LNG at only 5.5 percent, while nuclear power and hydroelectricity constitute 6.5 percent and 1.5 percent respectively. It should be noted that the high percent of coal use in Northeast Asia is due to China, which accounts for 55 percent of the region's energy consumption and 80 percent of the region's coal use. Within Northeast Asia, each country's energy demand and supply situation is unique.
Oil accounts for more than half the total commercial energy consumption in Japan and South Korea.
North Korea produces and consumes a relatively large percent of coal, and also a sizable portion of non-commercial fuels such as biomass and charcoal, but the country is completely dependent on imported oil. The country also needs to import a certain amount of coal for its steel industry. North Korea is the only country in the region which does not use natural gas at all. There are substantial differences between the amounts and patterns of energy consumption among the Northeast Asian countries. Picture 1 shows that the region's members' energy consumption levels vary substantially.