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“Divorced from reality”: North Koreans reject state’s rural housing claims

North Koreans are scoffing at government claims that tout rural housing projects as ushering in a “new era” for countryside development, particularly as officials artificially inflate the homes’ values. Citizens view these claims as completely detached from reality.

A source in South Hwanghae province told Daily NK recently that farmers in Pyoksong county are studying remarks by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their daily morning assembly.

The remarks stress that the lives of North Koreans will be the envy of the world within ten years thanks to the 20×10 regional development policy. The material covers news about people moving into new homes in rural areas around the country in a bid to encourage farm workers.

“After visiting Russia in September of last year, the supreme leader (Kim Jong Un) concluded that when it comes to rural homes, we are better off,” the materials claimed. 

Kim was satisfied to see newly built rural homes while returning to Pyongyang by train. “When North Koreans visit other countries, they should be allowed to ride on trains so they can see for themselves what rural areas are like in other countries,” the North Korean leader was quoted as saying.

While it is unclear whether Kim made such claims, farmers are being forced to repeatedly review these remarks in order to promote rural housing construction projects and instill a positive image about the projects in the public.

The materials also claim that “the houses that the Workers’ Party is building for ordinary farmers would go for around $70,000 in Russia and $80,000 in Japan.”

However, in private conservations, farmers are pushing back against the propaganda.

“At ceremonies for the newly built houses, people are thanking the party for giving them a new house when they haven’t done anything for their country. I’m really sick of hearing stuff like that,” one person said.

“What do you mean, we haven’t done anything? We’re basically providing unpaid labor for twelve months out of the year,” another sarcastically remarked.

Farmers are flabbergasted by absurd government claims that these mud-brick houses, made with as few materials as possible, could sell for $70,000 to $80,000 in other countries.

“Demand for houses is concentrated in downtown areas in North Korea. Generally speaking, houses in the city sell for between $2,000 and $20,000, depending on their location and condition. But houses in rural areas often sell for less than $1,000,” the source explained.

The government’s housing claims are aimed at convincing North Koreans that they are receiving valuable houses from the government. However, farmers are sick of propaganda that unrealistically inflates the value of housing.

“Every morning, we’re hearing panegyrics to these supposedly palatial modern houses. But have you ever heard of a palace that lacks basic amenities like running water, electricity and heating?” one farmer quipped.

“Considering that the whole village—indeed, the whole county—came together to provide the labor and materials needed to build these decent-looking mud-brick houses, rural residents aren’t pleased by these just-so stories about people leading happy lives that would impress other countries or by all this adulation of the party and leader,” the source said.

On Oct. 7, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper ran a front-page article titled, “Day in and day out, tremendous changes are taking place in socialist farming villages.

“Around 41,600 families in 141 cities and counties have moved into new homes so far this year, which is the third year of the Workers’ Party’s efforts to implement our new credo for the rural revolution,” it claimed, adding: “That is an exponential increase compared to the rural villages that went up during the same period in the first and second years.”

Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.

Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.

Read in Korean

November 07, 2024 at 11:26AM

by DailyNK(North Korean Media)

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