Did you know that North Koreans only use 1/5 of the water usage per day in South Korea? According to K-Water, a person in South Korea uses approximately 300 L of water per day on average. Meanwhile, North Koreans only use 60 L of water, which is equivalent to 1/5  of the South Korean figure. The number indicates a serious water shortage problem in North Korea.

One of the main causes of water shortage is power shortages. Since North Korea has a lack of electricity, operating water resource infrastructure facilities is challenging, resulting in low water pressure. This directly leads to water supply issues, particularly severe in high stories of apartments. A more serious problem than the water shortage is the use of unsafe drinking water due to the aging infrastructure. Approximately 40% of the North Korean population is exposed to various diseases because of unsafe drinking water.

To deeply investigate this situation, we, 3DaSoo, traced the life of a young man living in Pyongyang, North Korea. He, a resident of a high-rise apartment, experienced low water pressure issues and faced restricted water supply due to power shortages. Despite carrying a 10 L water container up and down the stairs every day, much of the water even turns out to be stagnant, making it unhygienic.

We came up with several questions, after observing the case of this young man. What if we could introduce a home water pump to increase water pressure? And what if we could generate the required electricity itself for the pump and even add a water purification function? We would like to answer these questions through one product. What we suggest as our solution is the ‘Pure Spring Water Pump.’ Its name has three meanings combined: pure water, combining hybrid charging method, and a pump.

The pump is composed of three main components. First, a home water pump will increase the water pressure and supply it smoothly up to high-rise buildings. Then, a life straw will act as a filter, solving the hygiene problem. Finally, a battery to address power shortages, and a solar panel to charge the battery and generate household power will be combined, allowing the supply of clean drinking water.

According to North Korean defectors, now people in North Korea use pumps made by China. While the price is inexpensive at about $30, the pumps have a critical flaw in that they cannot be used during power outages. In contrast, even though our product is slightly expensive, it has higher quality, more water quantity, and lower power consumption. Moreover, it has a huge strength that can be even used during power outages.

We evaluated the product from the user's perspective by assuming actual usage. Some expressed concerns about the purchase and replacement costs, while others mentioned difficulties in charging the solar panels for residents in shady areas. However, there was also positive feedback, acknowledging the potential to solve water supply problems and the simplicity of product usage, making it suitable for various age groups.

Based on this feedback, we are considering the following business plan. First of all, we will raise initial market entry funds through crowdfunding and provide product lease rights to trainees. Then, we plan to generate revenue by installing the product and charging lease fees based on usage, and replacement costs for filters and batteries.

We plan to divide the business into short-term, medium-term, and long-term phases. Initially, focusing on cost savings, we will develop prototype products and subsequently install shared charging stations to increase the distribution rate. In the long term, we aim to grow into a global company through rebranding as PH-7. Furthermore, we are structured with departments of technology development, management support, and external cooperation, along with advisors and partner companies, allowing us to systematically address various potential issues.

Our ultimate goal is to supply a water pump that could solve the water shortage problem in North Korea by combining existing technologies including solar power, pumps, and life straw. However, it is difficult for us to even attempt to purchase each component for a prototype product due to a lack of initial capital.

In addition, there are restrictions on supplying the product even after the actual development. Nevertheless, we aim to approach as much as we can to address the issue through this project. Through this, we want to raise awareness of the seriousness of human rights issues in North Korea. Also, we want to show that solving social problems is not impossible but can be accomplished with our attention. Social problems will soon become our problem if we do not address them now. Please join us, 3DaSoo, to solve the water shortage issue in North Korea!