According to a report from the Daily NK, while the majority of the North Korean population suffers from malnutrition and chronic food shortages, there is a growing middle class in Pyongyang leading increasingly luxurious lifestyles. A source for the Daily NK stated, “Wealthy women can enjoy a game of squash for seven Euro at Geumreung Gymnasium in the Taedonggang District, where a lot of foreigners in the city congregate. They talk to the local foreigners as they come and go from the gym, and some are even able to exercise together.” The source mentioned expensive exercise facilities, water parks, nice restaurants and coffee shops in her description of this elite class. The source added that the buying power of this nouveau rich class is hard to believe but was spurred by increased market activity over nearly twenty years. Furthermore, the number of people in this class is no longer small and composed of ranking Party Cadres and managers of trading companies that bring in foreign currency.
