Party leaders in Wonsan, in North Korea’s Kangwon province, are seeking to address public complaints about the water supply.
“The Wonsan party committee has launched an investigation following an emergency meeting about the water supply, which has been disrupted for a full month now,” a source in the province told Daily NK recently.
The source said that city water has not been flowing for more than a month because of a severe freeze in the main residential areas of Wonsan. After weeks of delay, the municipal party committee has finally started working to restore the water supply now that the weather is milder.
Notably, the committee has determined that the water shutoff is not solely due to freezing temperatures. In fact, more than half of downtown Wonsan residents have been relying on well water for decades. In mid-March, the committee reportedly ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.
The orders were given to the heads of the city’s neighborhood watch units, who were asked to describe in detail how long they had been without city water and to propose viable solutions.
The committee also directed officials to urgently restore access to city water. Since the disruption was caused by cold weather, the committee noted, it should be possible to address now that temperatures have risen.
The committee’s action was triggered by a petition from a disabled veteran living in Wonsan.
The veteran mentioned the water shutoff in his petition, which described how his wife had fallen down the stairs and seriously injured her back while carrying water from the public well up to their third-floor apartment. The letter apparently brought the severity of the situation to the committee’s attention.
In a hastily convened meeting, committee members acknowledged that the water shutoff was a serious problem, noting that city water is a basic public amenity. Members also emphasized the need to ease the hardship of disabled veterans and others who receive special treatment from the state.
The committee stressed the importance of thoroughly inspecting the water supply and developing a fundamental solution. Members agreed on the need for a stable water supply, especially since the government no longer provides regular food rations.
According to the source, officials who understand the root cause of the water shutoff are pessimistic. “Many of the water mains have rusted or burst, so this can’t be fixed with a handful of patches. The mains need to be completely removed and replaced,” one official said.
While Wonsan residents are grateful to the municipal party committee for addressing the water supply issue, they remain skeptical about the chances of success—especially since city water has been unreliable for decades.
April 09, 2025 at 11:12AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)