Coal towns welcome North Korea housing plan

North Korea’s plan to modernize coal mining towns nationwide is stirring hope among people living in some of the country’s most run-down housing in 2026, even as other North Korean people brace for the financial burdens such projects often bring.

The plan was adopted at the second plenary meeting of the ninth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea last month, which named revitalizing the coal industry a core economic task. The plenary meeting is the party’s top decision-making forum, convened periodically to set policy direction.

A source in South Hamgyong province told Daily NK on Wednesday that residents of coal mining towns in Kowon and Sudong counties are elated at word that the state plans to redevelop their villages. Their homes are already worn down, the source said, leaving people to struggle through leaks during the summer rainy season and cold drafts in winter on top of their already difficult daily lives.

Coal is a key resource in North Korea, used for power generation, industrial energy supply, winter heating and to earn foreign currency. Yet the workers who mine it and their families reportedly continue to live in poor conditions themselves.

According to the source, coal mining town residents in Kowon and Sudong counties live in especially poor housing. Most homes are so deteriorated that residents fear they could collapse, and rainwater leaking through roofs during the summer monsoon causes serious inconvenience, while corroded walls let in severe drafts in winter.

Against this backdrop, the party’s decision to modernize coal mining towns nationwide is being received as a promise to lift residents out of these harsh conditions, with residents reportedly delighted enough to want to cheer. Residents who have long lived in aging homes are said to be welcoming the news, with some saying they would be happy just to escape houses that leak every time it rains.

North Korean state media have also widely reported on reactions from coal miners and their families. The Rodong Sinmun, the ruling party’s official newspaper, reported on June 28 and 29 that coal miners and their families nationwide were shedding “tears of endless gratitude” over the plenary meeting’s decision, and that workers at coal fields across the country were brimming with confidence and optimism.

Ordinary North Korean people, however, are reportedly responding with concern rather than celebration. Whenever the state announces a major construction project, people are typically also ordered to contribute materials and cash in addition to being mobilized for labor.

“Once people heard that a decision had been made to modernize coal mining towns, the immediate reaction among ordinary people was worry about how much more they would be asked to give,” the source said. “Construction projects, whether for Pyongyang or local areas, are already piling up under various social tasks, so this kind of reaction was inevitable.”

Ordinary people brace for new costs

A source in Ryanggang province offered a similar account, saying coal mining town residents on the outskirts of Hyesan are very pleased at news that new homes will be built for them, while other North Korean people unconnected to the project are sighing, with comments like “here we go again” and “the list of things we’re told to give will only grow longer.”

The remarks point to a recurring pattern in North Korea, where large-scale construction projects touted as achievements of the political system or its leadership often shift much of the practical burden onto ordinary North Korean people.

“This time, I hope they don’t place an economic burden on people,” the Ryanggang province source said. “There would be less complaint if the state only asked for labor mobilization, but demands for materials or cash make life even harder for people who are already living hand to mouth.”

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