Jang Hye-won,Ph.D. Candidate University of North Korean Studies The DPRK (North Korea) and ROK (South Korea) use different words for the term “refrigerator” (naeng-dong-gi as compared with naeng-jang-go, respectively). They even use slightly different terms for different compartments within the appliance, such as the freezer and refrigeration sections. The first refrigerator I encountered as a child was a Soviet-made model, produced in 1989. I remember the exact refrigerator we used during my elementary school years for two reasons. It was memorable, primarily, because of the logo affixed to the door, celebrating the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students, and secondly, because not many homes had refrigerators at the time. The opening ceremony of the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students, held in Pyongyang on July 1, 1989. Ⓒ Getty Images. Our Russian-made appliance was a medium-sized refrigerator which, unlike today's refrigerators, did not have separate doors for the freezer and refrigerator compartments. The logo displayed on the upper quadrant of the door depicted a dove inside a circle. Around that circle were semicircles in a variety of colors, overlapping each other slightly, like flower petals. The brand’s name was “Ginar,” and its trademark was about 20 centimeters in diameter. Based on what the adults said, Ginar refrigerators had been installed in apartments on Gwangbok Street in Pyongyang, where foreigners stayed during the 1989 World Festival of Youth and Students. After the event, by various means, some of those refrigerators found new homes. Our refrigerator was the envy of the neighborhood, as it was one of the few around. Especially during the summer, our neighbors would ask to use it for freezing popsicles. The only way to make them was by freezing sugary or saccharin-sweetened water in popsicle molds, and these snacks were a big hit with kids during the hot summer months. Beginning in the mid-to-late 1990s, more and more households began to buy refrigerators—mostly foreign models imported from Japan. At that time, our family traded our Soviet refrigerator for a Japanese model. The most impressive change was the difference in noise. Our first refrigerator had been a bit noisy, whereas the new model was much more quiet. Despite that significant difference, some adults argued that the noisy Russian refrigerator could freeze food faster and was more durable—built to last. In the 1990s, a well-to-do home in the DPRK was envisioned as having five pieces of furniture and six appliances. The five items of furniture included a storage cabinet for bedding, a wardrobe for clothing, a bookshelf, a decorative buffet for dishes and cutlery, and a cupboard. The six appliances were a television set, a tape recorder, a refrigerator, a washing machine, an electric fan, and a sewing machine. Everyone worked hard to obtain that particular assortment of household conveniences. Many have heard of people starving to death during the 1990s in the DPRK. According to estimates by the Bank of Korea, from 1990 to 1998, the DPRK recorded negative economic growth for nine consecutive years. Having five pieces of furniture began to symbolize vanity. As electricity became increasingly unreliable, it became harder to use the six household appliances and made it difficult for homes to function properly. Nevertheless, the demand for such appliances remained steady. The longer the electric blackouts became, the more refrigerators simply became decorative. People in the DPRK maintained that a refrigerator should be on for at least four hours a day to keep the food fresh, but thinking back on that standard, I see it was dangerous. Even if the family had food items they wanted to freeze for future needs, the limited supply of electricity meant they had to pickle that food in salt or just eat it before it went bad. However, no one dared throw away their refrigerators, as they expected the electricity situation to stabilize in the future. Additionally, they would have regretted throwing away something purchased with such precious money. So, refrigerators began to be used for storage in many homes—as a fashionable cabinet for books and other miscellaneous odds and ends—the secret feature of a refrigerator. After seeing in North Korean state media the splendid night views in the city streets of Pyongyang and some provincial cities, there are analysts who believe North Korea’s electricity situation has improved. Coal export and trade restrictions between the DPRK and China during the Covid crisis caused DPRK coal production to be diverted for domestic use, so the electricity situation is likely to have improved. However, even if the situation is significantly better, it is hard to know if the supply and voltage are sufficient to ensure refrigerators can function fully. This year, it has not been uncommon to receive word of death by starvation in the DPRK. In light of the recent years of severe Covid crisis, it is perplexing that last year's food production remained steady and that DPRK-China trade increased, however slightly. On the other hand, I wonder if the accummulated effects of North Korea's three challenges (sanctions, natural disasters, and Covid) will only become fully apparent after some more time passes. Now, the weather is heating up. If their refrigerators are fully functioning, at least North Korean people should be able to enjoy a cooler summer… Lack of air conditioning infrastructure in North Korea Ⓒ MBC Unification Observatory (2022.7.22)
