Kim Jong Un showcases Pyongyang's new but flawed housing plan
The KCNA agency released a photo of a representative block housing complex in Pyongyang, visited by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. It consists of 10,000 apartments, but not everyone is eligible to live there. Tenants will be selected based on their loyalty to the regime. While the authorities boast about this investment, the construction quality leaves much to be desired, CNN reports.
According to a study conducted in 2021 by scientists from the Institute of Civil Engineering and Construction Technology in South Korea, North Korea can only provide housing for 70-80% of households.
The complex of 10,000 apartments in the new Hwasong district is intended to address these housing issues. This construction is part of a broader five-year plan, announced in 2021, aiming to build 50,000 apartments in Pyongyang. The quality of life for residents in these new apartments is expected to be significantly higher than in other parts of this impoverished country, according to CNN.
The housing estate, a source of pride for the regime, was personally inspected by Kim Jong Un. It includes not only skyscrapers but also commercial and service facilities. State media praised the pace of construction in the capital, dubbing it "Pyongyang Speed." Officials claim to have completed the structure of a 70-story skyscraper in the capital's Ryomyong New Town in just 74 days.
However, experts have raised concerns about the building materials and the execution of projects in the country, especially after a residential building collapse in Pyongyang in 2014, which could have housed dozens of families. State media attributed the disaster, not disclosing the official number of casualties, to "careless construction" and "irresponsible oversight by officials."
Living in skyscrapers in North Korea is not necessarily synonymous with luxury. Frequent power outages disable elevators, complicating daily life for those living on higher floors. Consequently, younger residents are typically assigned to higher apartments, while older residents are moved to lower floors, CNN reports.
The government allocates housing, prioritizing those deemed most loyal to the ruling Kim family and individuals working in sectors considered highly valuable to the nation, such as scientists and engineers.
