FTV observes growing social inequality reflected in North Korea’s housing development proj...

Описание: In North Korea, where there’s no such thing as a privately-owned residence, all houses are state-owned and assigned directly to residents. Under orders from the country’s leader Kim Jong-un, 26 apartment buildings went up along the banks of the Taedong River in Pyongyang starting in 2014, designated as dwellings for professors at Kim Chaek University of Technology and other scientists. The large and well appointed flats in the complex have become the envy of many North Koreans, who see the preferential treatment given to scientists and experts as a reflection of growing inequality in the ostensibly socialist country. Our exclusive report, from FTV News Director Anne Hu and her team in the Hermit Kingdom. There are excellent views from the banks of the Taedong River, where the North Korean government decided in 2014 to build 26 modern high-rise apartments for the country’s university professors and engineers to live in. The large and well-appointed flats, in an area that’s been called “Future Scientists Street,” have become a topic of debate in the country.Anne HuFTV News DirectorFuture Scientists Street runs along the Taedong River, and currently has a total of 11 towers, which are all apartments for professors at Kim Chaek University of Technology. We’ve specially applied to see the inside of the buildings today.The government took a long time to approve our visit to this home, where only the daughter-in-law and grandson of the primary male resident were there to greet us.Hello.This woman surnamed Kim said her father-in-law was a professor at Kim Chaek University of Technology, and her mother-in-law was a doctor, while her own husband used to play on the national soccer team. Knowing we were curious about the living conditions of North Koreans, she took us through the whole apartment, explaining what each room was for. We noticed that the bedroom used by Mrs. Kim’s in-laws had its own en-suite bathroom.Kim Mi-ranResident of Future Scientists StreetThis is my in-laws’ room. That’s them in the picture. It’s their bedroom.(This is a suite, with a bathroom.)Kim Mi-ranResident of Future Scientists StreetThis is the toilet. You want to see the toilet too? It wouldn’t be impolite?(Come and have a look.) (Does the average North Korean use a bathroom like this?)Kim Mi-ranResident of Future Scientists StreetBecause they’re old, they need to sit when using the toilet. This is the library, where my father-in-law reads. It’s his library. This is his doctoral diploma.(Where did your father-in-law get his doctorate?)Kim Mi-ranResident of Future Scientists StreetHe got his doctorate at Kim Chaek University of Technology. (The diploma was issued by the state.) This is my kid’s room. It’s a bit messier, because it’s a kid’s room, with lots of toys. We’ve put the beds together, because he says he doesn’t want to sleep alone. Come in. This is a commendation that my son won in school. A commendation and an award. I’ve taken pictures of my son as he’s grown up, and hung them here.The 60-ping apartment has 5 rooms and one common area. Not many in Taiwan have an apartment that large. Could it have been set up just for our visit?(Is every room the same size?)Kim Mi-ranResident of Future Scientists StreetOur family, like every family, has adults and kids, and we’ve split up all our rooms in accordance with standards. (The apartment looks really big, (Do you know how many ping it is?) It’s 210 square meters (63 ping)) (How many other flats this size are there in Pyongyang?)Kim CheolKim Chaek University of TechnologyLooking at all the apartments here, though there’s few people in our country living in a home as big as ours, all the people in our country live in apartments bigger than 100 square meters (30 ping). There’s three generations of the same family living in this apartment. In North Korea, the oldest son often lives with his parents, and a bigger family can apply for a bigger apartment. Before handing over an apartment, the government will furnish it with a sofa, desks and chairs, lighting, and kitchenware. Here, there’s no such thing as a bare, unfurnished flat, and no furniture sellers or interior decorators. Kim CheolKim Chaek University of TechnologyIn your experience, how much would a 210-square-meter apartment cost in your country? In Europe, it would cost at least US$1.5 to US$2 million, but our leader provides our teachers these kinds of high-end luxury apartments for free. What I want to say is that, though the world has lots of teachers, researchers and scientists, there’s no better place on earth for teachers and scientists than our country, which is the envy of the world. There have been signs of the superior treatment given to researchers and professors. In 2010, the country built two cylindrical apartment towers in Pyongyang to house artists and broadcasters. After coming to power, Kim Jong-un in 2013 ordered the...