North Korea defends its lack of 'flashy lights'

PYONGYANG, North Korea, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- North Korea's biggest newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, recently ran an editorial defending the lack of electricity in the country.

"They [North Korea's detractors] clap their hands and get loud over a satellite picture of our city with not much light, but the essence of society is not on flashy lights," the editorial says, as translated by The Wall Street Journal.

The Journal notes that leader Kim Jong Un had promised to increase the availability of electricity in a New Year speech, which would appear to contradict the editorial.

The editorial also highlights problems in the United States, saying the country will soon face serious problems while North Korea prospers. It specifically singles out the economy and the Ferguson protests.

The editorial describes the United States as "an old superpower that is meeting its sunset may put up a face of arrogance but it can't avoid its dark fate."