▲ North Korean leader Kim Jong-un makes a speech at the groundbreaking ceremony for a construction project in Unnyul County under his signature regional development policy on Jan. 29, 2026, in this Korean Central News Agency photo released the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

N Korea-regional development

N. Korea ramps up implementation of regional development policy in 3rd year of project

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has been accelerating the implementation of leader Kim Jong-un's signature regional development policy in the third year of the construction project as it broke ground for building regional facilities earlier this week, state media reported Wednesday.

In 2024, Kim unveiled a policy to build modern factories in 20 cities and counties each year over a 10-year period to improve the living conditions of people in regional areas.

North Korea held the groundbreaking ceremonies for regional construction projects in the Sinuiju Greenhouse Complex, Kangnam County and Maengsan County the previous day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The KCNA said modern factories and public health, as well as welfare service facilities, will be "simultaneously" erected in 20 regions this year, noting "marked progress" has been made across all aspects of the people's material and cultural life.

Last month, the North's leader attended the groundbreaking ceremony for this year's first construction project in Unnyul County in South Hwanghae Province, saying his policy will transform one-third of the country.

North Korea has been widely expected to tout the outcome of Kim's regional development policy as a key achievement at the upcoming key party congress.

On Sunday, the North inaugurated a major greenhouse farm in Sinuiju, a northwestern city hit hard by flooding in 2024, calling it a "wonderful achievement" ahead of the party congress that will likely take place in early February.

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