North Korea announced the completion of a 50,000-unit housing project in Pyongyang ahead of a party congress later this month. Leader Kim Jong-un attended the inauguration ceremony on Monday with his daughter Ju-ae, marking a key initiative unveiled at the 2021 Workers' Party congress.
North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on February 17, 2026, that a 50,000-unit apartment construction project in Pyongyang has been successfully completed. Described as the top-priority task from the historic eighth congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, the project was hailed as an epoch-making success in the new era of comprehensive national rejuvenation.
The initiative, a pet project of leader Kim Jong-un unveiled at the 2021 Workers' Party congress, aims to address housing shortages and improve living standards. Under the plan, 40,000 units were built in Pyongyang's Songsin and Songhwa districts in 2022, and in the Hwasong district from 2023 to 2025, with the remaining 10,000 units finished recently.
Kim attended the inauguration ceremony on Monday with his daughter Ju-ae. In his speech, he stated that the North will undertake a "more gigantic construction project," clarifying a "greater milestone" at the ninth party congress, where people will "witness again another exciting five years" of "perfect implementation."
KCNA photos showed Ju-ae hugging residents of the new housing complex in a rare public interaction, amid speculation about her grooming as a future leader. Last week, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) indicated that Pyongyang appears to be in the process of designating her as successor.
Participants and audience members for the upcoming party congress arrived in Pyongyang on Monday. Seoul officials had predicted that the regime would complete this key project before convening the ninth congress in late February. The meeting is expected to outline priorities in economy, defense, and diplomacy, with the housing project likely to be widely acclaimed as a major party accomplishment to rally public support.