＜Investigation＞Current living conditions of North Koreans (1) Poor infrastructure…conditions related to water, electricity, heating and toilets

ASIAPRESS recently conducted a survey of North Koreans in the north of the country to get an overall picture of their lives, from the most basic conditions to education and healthcare. In this first part of a three-part series, ASIAPRESS presents the latest developments in water, electricity, heating and toilets. (JEON Sung-jun / KANG Ji-won)

The series was conducted from March to May by interviewing three people in Ryanggang and North Hamgyong provinces. The interviews in this series were conducted in the northern regions where the interviewees live, so generalizing the interview content to North Korea as a whole is limited. However, the interviews allow speculation about the situation in other parts of the country. The first part of this series summarizes the account of “A,” an interviewee who lives in an urban area in Ryanggang province.

◆Tap water is only delivered at certain times … unreliable due to dilapidated pipes and low water pressure

In March, ASIAPRESS asked “A” about water and drinking water conditions. Describing the local water situation, she said that while it varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, in most areas water is supplied at specific times.

“In the building where I live, (water) is delivered twice a day, at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., but the water pressure is low, so you have to fetch it yourself if you live above the third floor.”

“A” said that the water supply was inadequate, so she had to constantly save water. She gave the reason:

“The water supply is definitely less robust than in 2019 because the pipes are old and the water pumps are not in good condition. That’s why there are many problems.”

◆Electricity is supplied for 1-2 hours a day, while heating costs have skyrocketed

“The electricity supply is even worse now (in March) because there is no water. So the electricity supply is limited to one or two hours a day. Often there is no electricity all day.”

North Korea relies on hydroelectric power for more than 60 percent of its energy, so electricity supply tends to be worse during the dry season. March, the month in which ASIAPRESS’s reporter covered the conditions on the ground, is part of the dry season, so electricity supply was even worse than usual.

“There is a clear separation between industrial and residential power. The residential areas are practically unpowered, while the industrial lines seem to have some power supply.”

Electricity for industrial use supports production activities in factories and businesses, while electricity for residential use is intended for general households. Electricity supply to residential areas is almost completely cut off to make up for the shortage, the reporting partner said.

She added that many residents use Chinese solar panels to light their homes.

As the electricity situation continues to deteriorate, heating costs have also increased, said “A”.

“Heating costs have gone up,” she said. “We used to have some electricity, so we used space heaters and things like that, but now we can hardly use them.”

The result is an increased demand for firewood and coal, which have now become more expensive, explained the reporting partner.

“The prices of coal and firewood have also risen. Firewood used to cost 100 yuan per cubic meter (/㎥), now it is 125 yuan. Coal used to cost 110 yuan per ton, now it is up to 150 yuan.”

※1 Chinese Yuan is equivalent to approximately 189 Korean won.

◆“Conventional” toilets remain the norm with no improvement in sight

“The toilets have not changed much compared to before,” she said. “In the newer apartments, locally made tiles are being laid to modernise the communal outdoor toilets, but they do not drain properly. You have to constantly fill them to use the (human waste) for compost, so they smell bad and are still uncomfortable to use.”

New toilets are still built in the traditional way, without flushing, which means that human waste must be scooped out after filling. Normally, North Korean households are equipped with flushing toilets, but due to recent water shortages, they are not easy to use.

“Sometimes individuals install a (flush) toilet in the bathroom at home, but I don’t think most people want to switch (to flush toilets) because they are used to traditional toilets. I’ve heard that apartments in Pyongyang are importing pumps from China to increase water pressure, which is a priority if you want to upgrade your toilets.”

In a speech on October 10, 2020 at a military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim Jong-un burst into tears over his failure to care about people’s lives and vowed to improve them. However, this survey shows that the basic living conditions of North Koreans have not improved much compared to the past. In the next installment, ASIAPRESS will take a look at the country’s education and healthcare systems.

(Continued in the next part)

※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners via Chinese mobile phones smuggled into North Korea.