[Seoul, 15th Archyde.com]–The specially designed luxury dwelling unit “Penthouse” built on the top floor of a condominium is a longing for people in many countries. But that is not the case in North Korea.
Kim Jong-un, the general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, is building a series of high-rise apartments in Pyongyang, the capital, and recently completed an 80-story property.
According to North Korean defectors and other North Koreans, few people would like to live near the top floor of these condominiums because the elevators do not work satisfactorily, electricity and water are inadequate, and there are concerns about the skills of craftsmen. That is.
Jun Shiu, who went into exile in South Korea in 2017, said, “In North Korea, poor people, not rich people, live in penthouses because elevators often do not work properly and water pressure is low, so water cannot be supplied.” ..
I lived on the 3rd floor of a 13-story property without an elevator, but a friend who lived on the 28th floor of a 40-story building said that the elevator did not work and he had never used it.
Kim is also proud of the 80-story high-rise condominium completed this week. “It’s more about showing how much North Korea’s construction technology has improved, rather than thinking about the inhabitants,” he said.
North Korea, a socialist nation, has a quota system for housing, and it is strictly illegal to buy or sell houses or condominiums.
However, experts say that the property is actually bought and sold normally, mainly by those who have benefited from the expanding private market under the Kim Jong-un regime. Kim has set out a policy to improve the quality of the building and build tens of thousands of new condominiums.
The North Korean economy has been hit by border closures to prevent new coronavirus infections, natural disasters, and sanctions on nuclear and missile development, and according to the United States, available resources are limited to meet public demand. It is far from the state.
Meanwhile, North Korean state media reported on the 13th that the first 10,000 condominiums, including a high-rise condominium on the 80th floor, were completed out of the 50,000 condominiums planned in Pyongyang.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency is “quality-guaranteed” by the workers involved in the construction, and Pyongyang is “people first” for condominiums and other buildings that will be used for education, public health and welfare services. He said that it would contribute even more to becoming a city.
State media reported on the 14th that Kim was holding a groundbreaking ceremony in another residential area for the elite, including a prominent TV caster, but the building was low-rise, all with two or three stories.
Under the Kim Jong-un administration, the electricity situation in North Korea has improved significantly, and new opportunities for nightlife have been created. However, it still suffers from power shortages and sometimes poor infrastructure.
Many people have installed personal solar panels in case of a power outage, and even if electricity is cut off, small equipment such as home appliances can be used, but equipment such as elevators and water services can be powered. not rotating.
Lee Sang-yoon, editor-in-chief of the North Korean information site “Daily NK” in Seoul, said, “A condominium for the general public is not ready to live yet.”
The recently completed luxury home was equipped with furniture and utensils, but the windows were only frames and the faucets were installed but no water came out.
The spread of high-rise condominiums requires further improvement of electricity and water supply systems to overcome concerns about building quality.
When Jun lived in Pyongyang, most elevators only worked twice a day. Commuting hours are 6am to 8am and 6pm to 8pm.
The water pressure on the upper floors was low, and it was necessary to carry water from the ground and install a dedicated pump.
When the North Korean government disclosed the domestic situation to overseas media in 2018, the elevator operated at the high-class 47-story Yanggakdo International Hotel, but there was no electricity on the dozens of floors where North Korean staff stayed. rice field.
At the time, two North Korean officials told Archyde.com that the upper floors of one of Kim’s recent “Future Scientist Street” construction projects had few buyers due to concerns about elevator deficiencies. rice field.
“No one wants to take the risk of taking an hour to climb,” said one official.
(Reporters by SungHyuk An, Yeni Seo, Josh Smith)