North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the completion ceremony of the local industrial plant, which was built in Jaeryeong County as part of the Local Development 20×10 Policy.
On Wednesday, the Korean Central News Agency reported that the local industrial plants in Jaeryeong County were completed. This event was highlighted as a significant beginning of 2025, a pivotal year for advancing comprehensive socialist development.
During the meeting, Kim stated, “Holding completion ceremonies for local industrial plants in 20 cities and counties, including Seongcheon County and Jaeryeong County, brings great joy to the people as they embark on a rewarding journey in the new year.”
He also emphasized, “The party and government agencies in each city and county must always pay close attention to ensuring the conditions necessary for normalizing production at local industrial plants, including addressing raw material issues and training skilled workers, and must implement these measures unconditionally so that our party’s new local development policy can effectively contribute to the material well-being of the residents in those areas.”
Kim expressed confidence, saying, “Building on last year’s achievements, we aim for even higher standards this year, maximizing economic benefits, effectiveness, and prospects to ensure that this year marks another leap forward in local construction.”
In addition to his economic focus, Kim observed the test launch of a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile on Monday via a video surveillance system. The following day, he attended the completion ceremony of the local industrial plant in Jaeryeong County, encouraging the achievement of results and underscoring his determination to balance defense and economic goals.
Yang Moo Jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, analyzed that North Korea intendsKorea intends to strengthen its defense against external threats through military power while enhancing internal unity by revitalizing the local economy. He added, “Achieving maximum results by the end of this year implies a goal of solidifying Kim’s regime and elevating him to the status of state and supreme leader at the 9th Party Congress next year.”
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