North Korean authorities recently sought public input on expanding access to Pyongyang’s premier recreational facility, the Mirim Horse Riding Club, though critics note its fees are prohibitively expensive for ordinary citizens.
According to a Daily NK source recently, North Korea’s Cabinet instructed people’s committees in Pyongsong, South Pyongan province, and Sariwon, North Hwanghae province, to survey residents about potential group visits to the facility in early December.
Previously, Pyongyang was ordered to survey residents about their use of Mirim Horse Riding Club. Pyongyang authorities conducted the survey by choosing two neighborhoods in each district to pass around a circular.
Less than 1% of the survey respondents said they had used Mirim Horse Riding Club. Most people say they do not have time for leisure because they cannot afford it.
Daily NK understands that entrance to Mirim Horse Riding Club costs $10 and an hour of horseback riding costs $50. For North Koreans, $50 is a lot of money — a sum that could buy over 100 kilograms of rice in at a market.
North Korean authorities opened Mirim Horse Riding Club in 2013 with the goal of giving ordinary people an opportunity to ride horses. However, only powerful officials and wealthy entrepreneurs use it.
“The authorities promote Mirim Horse Riding Club as a symbol of the Supreme Leader’s care for people’s recreation, but citizens struggling to survive have no interest in horseback riding,” the source said. “Even with proposed group visits through neighborhood offices or workplaces, the fees remain unaffordable for most people.”
North Korean authorities select model personnel from factories, enterprises, and other organizations to give them the opportunity to tour Pyongyang sites like the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun and Mirim Horse Riding Club. However, since individuals must still pay the entry fees even on a group tour, the public has been less than enthusiastic about such trips.
“With most people struggling to afford basic necessities, the facility’s entrance fees and additional costs for transportation, food, and lodging in Pyongyang make visits impractical,” the source said.
“The club’s low visitor numbers are unlikely to improve without addressing the cost barrier,” he continued, noting that the public survey about expanding access appears disconnected from economic realities facing most citizens.
“The state is seeking to increase visitor numbers, but without lowering admission fees, any expansion policy will have limited impact,” the source added.
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
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November 26, 2024 at 05:34AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)