North Korean media frequently cover newly built housing complexes nationwide, attempting to demonstrate improving living standards. While these reports raise hopes among some people, others view them more cynically.
“The Kowon county chapter of the Socialist Women’s Union of Korea held a lecture early this month about Kim Jong Un’s diligent efforts to improve people’s standard of living. After the lecture, one member got significant attention when she said she expects county residents will someday get to live in new houses too,” a source in South Hamgyong province told Daily NK recently.
While the source didn’t explain the exact circumstances behind the woman’s remark, the lecture focused on raising living standards — currently a major priority for the North Korean regime. Large housing projects in major cities like Pyongyang as well as rural regions are a key component of those efforts. The woman was likely voicing hopes that the government will provide them with new houses.
“If that happened, we wouldn’t have anything to worry about,” another union member responded. “Our military is supposed to be pretty strong, so surely they’ll start using some money that’s been going to nuclear weapons to improve our quality of life.”
Those remarks contain implicit criticism of the North Korean regime for pouring vast sums into nuclear weapons development at the expense of welfare programs.
“If I had the chance to live in one of those fancy houses the government is building, I wouldn’t ask for white rice and meat soup,” another union member said.
Reality check on housing promises
North Korean founder Kim Il Sung famously used “white rice and meat soup” as a symbol for the prosperity he promised. He used that propaganda slogan to galvanize public support for his economic development goals.
Underlying the remark about not asking for white rice and meat soup is disappointment over the regime’s failure to keep its promise about bringing prosperity.
“When various programs ostensibly aimed at improving living standards don’t make a practical difference in people’s lives, people stop trusting the government. Propaganda alone won’t meet people’s expectations,” the source said.
Some women’s union members refused to get their hopes up. “I doubt I’ll get a new house before the day I die,” one remarked, seemingly aware of how unlikely it is for her region to be selected for a housing project, for the project to actually be completed, and for houses to be allotted to residents.
“Housing projects generally go up in more developed towns near cities and county seats, and economically backward areas in the countryside are less likely to be chosen. With the exception of large-scale projects directly managed by the state, towns are generally expected to handle their own construction projects. As a result, poorer areas have little chance of getting new housing stock,” the source said.
In other words, areas that would struggle to provide the workers and materials needed for construction probably won’t be selected for new housing projects.
Some North Koreans complain that the Rodong Sinmun’s breathless coverage of new housing projects is totally divorced from their actual experience.
Already this month, the Rodong Sinmun has run multiple articles about people moving into newly built neighborhoods, including houses at the Pyongsang Farm in Usi county, Jagang province (Sept. 1); modern housing for fishing families in Rakwonpo, South Hamgyong province (Sept. 5); houses at a farm in Wiwon county and the Sinyon farm for industrial crops under Jagang province’s farm management committee (Sept. 9); houses at the Kumya farm in Changsong county, North Pyongan province (Sept. 10); and houses at Unsong farm in Chonchon county, Jagang province (Sept. 11).
