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| ▲ North Korea holds the inauguration ceremony for a regional factory in Paechon County of South Hwanghae Province on Dec. 20, 2025, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on Dec. 22. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap) |
N Korea-regional factories
N. Korea ramps up opening of regional factories ahead of key party congress
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has been ramping up the opening of new regional factories, including one in the northeastern county of Kilju, where a nuclear test site is located, ahead of next year's key party congress, according to state media Wednesday.
North Korea held a ceremony the previous day to inaugurate a light industry factory in Kilju, attended by senior party, military and government officials, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
Kilju County in North Hamgyong Province is home to the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, where the North conducted all six of its nuclear tests, including the latest one in 2017.
"Modern light industry factories have risen up in the nation's northern mountainous areas of Kilju here," Ri Il-hwan, a party secretary for propaganda, said in a speech at the ceremony, noting that a key project to build regional factories will further expand.
In January last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un unveiled his signature regional development 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.
The move is aimed at reducing the growing gap in the living standards of the people between Pyongyang and backward regions. It is seen as being intended to ease the worsening public sentiment amid prolonged economic difficulties.
Ahead of the ninth party congress set for early next year, North Korea has been focusing on touting the accomplishment of Kim's regional development policy.
The North's leader earlier called for thorough operations of new factories ahead of their inauguration ceremonies scheduled for December.
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