- Few of the wealthy in North Korea are attracted to living in penthouses
- Concerns about electricity and water supply keep them away
- The precarious operation of elevators also deters many
- For leader Kim Jong Un, the skyscrapers demonstrate build quality
SEOUL, April 15 (Reuters) – For people in many countries, living in a penthouse is a dream come true. In North Korea? Not so much.
Leader Kim Jong Un continues to build glamorous high-rise apartment buildings in the capital, Pyongyang, the latest being an 80-story skyscraper completed this week.
But deserters and other North Koreans say unreliable elevators and electricity, poor water supply and construction concerns mean that historically few people have wanted to live near the top of such structures.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I’m registering
“In North Korea, the poor live in penthouses, not the rich, because elevators often don’t work properly and can’t pump water because of low pressure,” said Jung Xi-wu, a 31-year-old who deserted in neighboring South Korea in 2017. .
To the north, he lived on the third floor of a 13-story building that lacked an elevator, while a friend who lived on the 28th floor of a 40-story block never used the elevator because it didn’t work, Jung said.
Asked about the new 80-story skyscraper, which opened this week, Jung said he thought Kim was just showing up.
“This is to show how much their construction skills have improved, instead of taking into account the preferences of the residents,” said the student.
North Korea provides housing, with the purchase and sale of housing or apartments, technically illegal in the socialist state.
However, experts say the practice has become commonplace, used mainly by those who have benefited from the proliferation of Kim’s private markets. He promised to improve the quality of construction and build tens of thousands of new apartments.
Its economy has been hit by self-imposed border closures against COVID-19, natural disasters and international sanctions on nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, which the United States says attracts limited resources to meet people’s needs.
On Wednesday, state media reported that the first 10,000 new apartments were completed in Pyongyang from the 50,000 target, citing the speed of their completion, including the 80-story skyscraper.
Workers “guaranteed the quality of construction”, and new apartments and other buildings designed for use in education, public health and social services will further help turn the capital into a “people first” city, the state news agency KCNA said.
On Thursday, state media reported that Kim was opening another housing cluster, this time for members of the elite, including a prominent TV presenter.
They were low-rise buildings, each only a few stories high.
PROGRESS MUST BE MADE
Power has improved significantly under Kim, creating some new opportunities for nightlife, but North Korea is still struggling with shortages and sometimes poor infrastructure.
Many have turned to separate solar panels for powerless magic. This led to a rash of small elements of consumer electronics, but could not power amenities such as elevators and water supply.
Lee Sang-yong, editor-in-chief of the Seoul-based Daily NK, which reports on North Korea, said sources told him that apartments for ordinary people were not ready for living.
The windows had only frames and water taps, although installed, they did not work, but the recently completed luxury homes come complete with furniture and utensils.
To ensure the popularity of the new high-rise apartments, North Korea will need to further improve electricity and water supplies and overcome concerns about the quality of construction, he added.
Jung said that when he lived in Pyongyang, most elevators operated only twice a day, during peak travel hours from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and at the same time in the evening.
Low water pressure often forces people living on higher floors to carry water above ground level or install their own special pumps, he added.
During the government’s last major international media tour in 2018, the elevators operated at the 47-story Yanggakdo International Hotel, but there was no electricity on dozens of floors where North Korean officials stayed.
At the time, two North Korean officials told Reuters that the upper levels of high floors in one of Kim’s recently opened pet building projects, Mirae Scientists Street, had few people due to concerns about elevators.
“No one wants to risk having to climb for an hour,” one said.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I’m registering
Additional reports from Minwoo Park; Writing by Josh Smith; Edited by Clarence Fernandez
Our standards: Thomson Reuters’ principles of trust.
Add Comment