North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, has pledged to “transform” large parts of the country through the construction of public health facilities, leisure complexes and industrial plants, according to state media reports released Friday.
The official Korean Central News Agency said Kim made the announcement while attending a groundbreaking ceremony for a construction project in Unnyul County, South Hwanghae Province, outlining plans to launch development initiatives in 20 regions nationwide.
“We are now standing on the starting line of our gigantic struggle for another year, aimed at transforming the regions,” Kim said.
“Nearly one-third of the cities and counties across the country will have been transformed,” he said.
Kim also praised soldiers deployed to construction sites, describing them as “creators of the people’s wellbeing.”
Such remarks may point to “an effort to shift significant portions of conventional military manpower into construction while focusing on (the country’s) nuclear capabilities,” Ahn Chan-il, a North Korea–born researcher, told AFP.
State media images showed Kim shovelling soil alongside senior officials during the ceremony, as a crowd applauded and waved North Korean flags.
Photographs also captured a large, choreographed explosion, which KCNA described as “thrilling.”
The developments come ahead of a major congress of the ruling Workers Party of Korea, expected to be held in the coming weeks. It would be the party’s first such gathering in five years, although an exact date has not been announced.
North Korea remains under multiple international sanctions related to its nuclear and missile programmes and continues to grapple with a stagnant state-controlled economy and persistent food shortages.
The country has long faced criticism for prioritising military spending and prohibited weapons development over the welfare of its population.
In recent months, Kim has strengthened military cooperation with Russia, sending thousands of troops to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine — a move analysts say has provided an economic boost to Pyongyang.
The government has also taken steps to reopen the country to foreign tourists in a bid to generate hard currency, investing in high-end coastal and mountain resort projects.
Analysts note that a regional development policy unveiled by Kim two years ago reflects an implicit recognition of stark disparities between the capital, Pyongyang, and other parts of the country.
Kim has meanwhile publicly expressed frustration over delays in construction efforts, sharply criticising officials and last week dismissing his vice premier in public over alleged incompetence.
