Housing in North Korea

A 살림집 (sallimjip) is a dwelling or house. The formal system is based on state planning, construction and allocation, known as 배정. State and local authorities, workplaces and other organizations can influence which household receives a dwelling. The precise responsible office varies by place and is not transparently documented nationwide. Residents generally receive a right to use and occupy housing rather than secure private ownership. Formal private ownership and private rental have no direct equivalent for most residents. North Korean official statements present housing provision as free, but residents are also reported to pay 사용료 (usage fees) and maintenance costs. Current nationwide fee schedules and reliable market prices are not available. Access is not based on an open application and listing system. Workplace, function or position, household composition, region, political-social standing and the available construction program can affect the result. Regional inequality is substantial. Pyongyang has especially controlled access, and travel permits or other administrative permissions make free choice of residence difficult in practice, despite formal claims of free movement. A household normally needs an 입사증 or a 살림집리용허가증 to move into and use an assigned dwelling. These documents function as an entry or housing-use certificate. The household is expected to use the dwelling according to the allocation, report residence changes, pay applicable usage or maintenance costs and follow administrative requirements. The exact issuing authority is not reliably verifiable nationwide. Housing can be assigned through a state-built project, a workplace or organizational allocation, or reconstruction after a disaster. Reconstruction programs may prioritize affected households and workers. Official reports describe targets for 50,000 homes in Pyongyang and 25,000 in Komdok during 2021–2025. DPRK reports for 2024 claimed 40,000 homes in Pyongyang, more than 100,000 rural homes, 20,000 in Komdok and 3,000 in Samjiyon. These figures are official self-reports and have not been independently verified. Housing transfers, moves and changes of occupants are administratively controlled. Selling, buying or subletting without authorization is not the formal process. Informal housing transactions have expanded since around the 2000s, especially in urban areas. Officials with access to certificates and informal brokers may arrange them, but the resulting title and legal security are not reliable. A 2016–2020 survey of North Korean defectors reported experience of selling for 15.3% and buying for 20.5%; these figures are not national statistics. Controls over such transactions have reportedly become stricter. Housing conditions vary by region, building type and infrastructure. The 2014 Socio-Demographic and Health Survey recorded 41.7% row houses, 32.8% detached houses and 25.0% apartments nationwide; apartments accounted for 62.9% in Pyongyang. The same survey recorded piped water inside the dwelling for 82.1% of homes and a private flush toilet for 62.5%. Heating commonly used coal at 56.5% and wood at 48.8%. These figures describe 2014 conditions and should not be treated as a current national measurement. Housing use can end through reassignment, an approved move, abandonment or forced relocation. Forced relocation of families to rural areas has been reported as a political sanction. Current nationwide rules on inheritance, termination of use, eviction and return of a dwelling are not sufficiently verified, and protection against arbitrary loss cannot be independently confirmed.