North Korean penthouses more nightmare than dream

STORY: An 80-story skyscraper in North Korea's capital completed in the past week is the latest in a push by leader Kim Jong Un to turn Pyongyang into what state media calls a 'people-first city'.

Glamorous high-rise apartment buildings now adorn Pyongyang's skyline, and for many outside the country, living in the penthouse might be considered the dream.

But what if you had to take the stairs up and down every day?

According to defectors from the country, that nightmare is a daily reality.

Defector Jung Si-woo says that people who live in these penthouses are poor rather than rich, and that the water can't be pumped up because of low water pressure.

He also said his friend who lived on the 28th floor of a 40-story building had never once used a lift in his life, because they never worked.

Housing is assigned In the socialist state, while the buying and selling of apartments is technically illegal.

But historically - few people have ever wanted to live on the highest floors.

While the power supply has improved significantly under Kim, North Korea still grapples with shortages and sometimes-shoddy infrastructure.

Many have turned to individual solar panels during the blackouts, which is only enough to power small electronics.

On Wednesday, state media said that out of 50,000 planned new apartments in Pyongyang, 10,000 had already been completed.

And though Kim has vowed to improve construction quality, experts caution that there's still a long way to go.