North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected several regional factories ahead of their official opening, stressing that building such facilities is a 'gigantic revolution' to improve people's livelihoods. The visit took place in South Phyongan Province on Wednesday. South Korea's unification ministry views it as part of efforts to highlight achievements of the five-year economic plan before key party meetings.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected regional-industrial factories in several counties of South Phyongan Province, including Sinyang and Pukchang counties, on Wednesday, as their official openings approach, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
In January 2024, Kim unveiled his signature regional development policy to build modern factories in 20 cities and counties each year over a 10-year period to improve living conditions in regional areas. Factories producing foodstuffs, garments, and daily necessities have been constructed in 40 cities and counties in less than two years since the project began, which Kim described as 'eye-opening regional changes.'
"The rural construction and regional-industry construction are a gigantic revolution intended to fundamentally improve the quality of the people's living and lay the material and technical foundations for the independent development of the cities and counties," Kim was quoted as saying by KCNA. He called for 'perfect' preparations for operations before the inauguration ceremonies scheduled for this month.
The inspection occurs ahead of a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in mid-December and a key party congress early next year. Kim has focused on visits to regional development sites in recent months to showcase modern factories as a major policy accomplishment at these events.
Chang Yoon-jeong, deputy spokesperson at South Korea's unification ministry in Seoul, said the visits "appear to be part of people's livelihood-related activities aimed at drumming up the results of the five-year national economic development plan ahead of the party plenary meeting and congress." North Korea adopted a five-year plan at its eighth party congress in 2021, and the ninth congress, expected in February according to South Korean intelligence, will likely outline a new one. The ministry will monitor the outcomes of Kim's directive to inaugurate all new regional factories by year's end.
