North Korea Completes Over 80,000 New Homes in Rural Villages

North Korea has built over 80,700 housing units in 1,500 rural villages, promoting the effort as a key achievement of its “Rural Revolution” initiative.

On Tuesday, the Workers’ Party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, published an article titled “Socialist Rural Areas Are Transforming.” The report stated that over 20,000 rural homes are currently under construction, including those slated for completion this year, and tens of thousands of farmers will soon move into new residences.

The newspaper noted that housing ceremonies have been held nationwide in hundreds of rural villages over the past year. It highlighted that agricultural workers from more than ten farms, including the capital farm of the South Hamgyong Provincial Agricultural Committee and the Deokheung Farm in Nampo City’s Gangseo District, have celebrated new home occupancies twice.

The report also mentioned that Pyongyang City was the first in the country to complete its planned rural housing construction last year. Meanwhile, North Pyongan Province built over 11,000 rural homes across 40 farms. The report portrayed these developments as transforming rural areas from symbols of revolutionary change and modernity. It claimed that people who once envied urban life have now become the envy of city dwellers.

Rodong Sinmun included testimonials from residents. A farmer from Dapsang-ri in Unsan County said, “In the past, we had to go to town just to take a family photo, but now I want to take pictures everywhere in the village.” The farmer added, “When I heard that our unique homes would come with sand volleyball courts, badminton courts, and even water play areas, I could hardly believe it. It makes me think, ‘This is what progress looks like.'”

Since late 2021, North Korea has been constructing new homes nationwide as part of its “New Rural Revolution Program.” This initiative aims to transform rural villages into prosperous and culturally advanced socialist communities.

This large-scale housing project aligns with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s emphasis on people-first policies and attempts to narrow the urban-rural divide. Notably, housing construction is a tangible achievement that the regime actively uses to promote its socialist system.