North Korea is redoubling efforts to build shopping centers with bathhouses and hair salons in the provinces as part of its regional development policy. But even older facilities are struggling to operate because of shortages of fuel and power.
“Provincial factories and shopping centers are being built in Chongpyong county as part of the 20×10 regional development policy. But older facilities are already effectively closed because there isn’t enough electricity or fuel. There’s no point in building new facilities when we can’t even run the old ones,” a source in South Hamgyong province told Daily NK recently.
According to the source, locals crowded to a bathhouse in Chongpyong township early this month after an “open for business” sign was hung up at the entrance. But the bathhouse had to shut down just two hours later when power was cut.
“Bathhouses can’t post an operating schedule because the power supply is unpredictable. Managers are also frustrated they can only open for business when the power is on,” the source said.
State takeover drives donju from service sector
In the past, bathhouses operated by the donju (North Korea’s wealthy entrepreneurial class) maintained regular hours because their owners could source their own power and fuel.
Those bathhouses provided a variety of services, including private baths (for those who could afford it). But now the state has banned the private operation of facilities, which has basically driven donju out of the market and left major amenities in danger of going out of business.
Despite these circumstances, the regime keeps trumpeting its plans to revitalize the provinces and reduce the disparity with the capital of Pyongyang. Locals criticize the state-orchestrated regional development policy as being “out of touch with reality.”
“Kim Jong Un says we need to bridge the divide between the capital and the provinces. But when winter arrives, the power supply will become even less dependable, and when the lights go out, all those newly built shopping centers will become empty husks,” the source said.
“I’m not even sure what they mean by ‘rejuvenation of the provinces.’ The propaganda outlets keep talking about reducing the disparity between Pyongyang and the provinces, but young people’s desire to live in Pyongyang continues to grow.”
Given the lack of free movement in North Korea, many people dream of visiting Pyongyang once in their lifetime. Young people nowadays are often heard saying they would love to visit Pyongyang and that living in Pyongyang would be a dream come true.
“People nowadays would rather have the freedom to visit Pyongyang than to have all these fancy facilities built in the provinces. Everybody knows that developing the provinces takes more than building a few facilities,” the source said.
