Despite the severe water shortage in North Korea from the spring drought that has even suspended operations at major power plants, the country has been busy supplying water to Pyongyang��s Munsu Waterpark and other leisure facilities rather than to its people, according to a local source. The Munsu Waterpark and Neungra Theme Park are venues widely promoted by the state as ��legacies�� of its leader Kim Jong Eun.

��We��re not simply talking about your average household, the central district apartments have not even been able to receive a proper supply of water,�� a Pyongyang-based source told the Daily NK on Wednesday. ��The water from the Taedong River is being supplied first to the theme park or waterpark.��

The severe drought this spring crippled North Korea��s water supply, even disrupting train services. Pyongyang, known as the ��revolutionary capital,�� which always receives priority when it comes to public resources, has also been struggling with a lag in power and water, according to the source.

This has led to criticism that the state only focuses on promoting Kim Jong Eun��s projects, instead of improving the lives of its people as it vowed the waterpark would help achieve. Since assuming power, Kim has ordered construction of multiple leisure facilities in his effort to build up a ��people-friendly�� image.

��As the weather gets colder, no one is even visiting these waterparks, but the water supply is the same as in the summer,�� the source said. ��Summertime operations aside, more people these days are questioning why the park is open at a time like this.��

��Some have even suggested residents should have priority over the water that goes to those places [waterpark, theme park],�� he asserted.

As this situation continues, more Party cadres who live in apartments in the central districts of Pyongyang are actively raising questions: they may have won the rights of residency in the affluent, central area using their privileges as a Party member, but without the proper water supply, living there becomes more of an inconvenience.  

��The cadres that tried so hard to move into these new buildings have been taken aback since they can��t get water,�� the source explained. ��Some have even said they would rather move to the outskirts of Pyongyang instead of live in the apartments, where it��s hard to even get your own water.��

In terms of electricity, the source reported, ��[On Pyongyang��s outskirts] there was no power all last month, except for Chuseok [the traditional harvest festival of the Korean people] and September 9th [National Foundation Day]. This month, we��ve have a spotty supply following Party Foundation Day [10th].�� He added, ��Even in the central area of Pyongyang, the power isn��t running consistently, so there are times when the entire city is just blanketed in darkness.��