With mercury levels peaking in North Korea,
many people are heading out to waterfronts to get some relief from the heat.
The state has been promoting Pyongyang’s Munsu Water Park and Songdowon Beach
in Kangwon Province as part of the watersports months of July and August, but
more people are heading towards Majon Beach in South Hamgyong Province, Daily
NK has learned.
“The height of summer heat is here, so the
Majon Beach is booming with people from Pyongyang and other areas,” a source
from the region told Daily NK on Thursday. “Party cadre and people with money
come together in cars with their family or colleagues, while others are coming
in trains or on trucks.”
Daily NK spoke with an additional source in South Hamgyong Province who verified this development.
Visiting Majon on Sundays or on nationals
holidays has become a pastime for many residents of Hamheung and those within
the province. Spending time at the beach has gained such popularity that those
who are unable to visit are seen as ‘lagging behind’, prompting some residents
to even visit on their bicycles, according to the source.
“Majon Beach recently opened, so the water
is much cleaner than any other beach, and the sand stretches out creating
beautiful scenery,” the source said. “In the past, there were no good places
for people to relax and cool off so they would spend time in random places, but
now, more people are looking for a better experience that’s also good for their
health, so they’re showing greater preference for cleaner environments like at
Majon.”
The beach is nearby the city of Hamheung
and it boasts not only great nature but other amenities such as showers and
areas to cook outdoors. Back in May 2013, Kim Jong Un visited Majon and asked
it be transformed into a beach that can meet global standards. Following this,
residents from the area were mobilized to create this new area, the source
explained.
“Workers from foreign missions in Pyongyang
and even foreign tourists are visiting Majon, showing that it is gaining a
global reputation,” he said. “Wonsan’s Songdowon Beach (in Kangwon
Province) has become polluted over the years from the oil and pollutants
flowing in from a nearby harbor and city sewage. It’s lost its attraction as a
resort.”
Things are not much better at Pyongyang’s
Munsu Water Park. “They aren’t able to change the water out everyday like they
should, so it stinks like urine,” he explained, adding that while on the
surface “it may look great” for propaganda purposes, with all the intermittent
power outages and dearth of water, “proper water management falls by the
wayside so the number of visitors continues to drop off.”
Another source from Pyongan Province also
confirmed this, noting, “I heard from vendors who were in Pyongyang that the
Munsu Water Park is not getting a proper supply of water, so it smells bad when
you go in.” He added that this like stems from children urinating in the pool
and no fresh water supplies to flush it out.
