Kim Jong-un, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, attended this year's first groundbreaking ceremony for a local industry factory and touted the flagship project, the "20×10 local development policy."
Korean Central News Agency reported on the 30th that a "grand groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of construction under the new year's local development policy" was held the previous day in Ŭnnyul County, South Hwanghae Province, with Kim Jong-un in attendance.
In his speech at the ceremony, Kim Jong-un said, "In this third year of implementing the local development policy, 20 regions across the country, including Ŭnnyul County, will see local industry factories rise along with health care facilities and comprehensive service centers," adding, "Nearly one-third of cities and counties nationwide will be transformed."
Kim Jong-un went on to say this is "proof of a firm resolve to fundamentally and continuously improve people's livelihoods on a nationwide scale," and "clearly demonstrates the vigorous momentum in carrying out the local development policy and the steadily growing development potential of our state year after year."
Since 2024, Kim Jong-un has pushed the "20×10 local development policy," saying he will build modern local industry factories in 20 counties each year and, within 10 years, raise the standard of material and cultural life for people nationwide by one step.
Korean Central News Agency said, "Starting this year, in 20 cities and counties across the country, a vast construction project will be expanded and carried out simultaneously—building modern light industry factories along with advanced health care facilities that successfully passed the pilot phase and comprehensive cultural service hubs."