North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to “transform” the nation through an extensive new construction initiative. He plans to build public health facilities, leisure complexes, and industrial plants across a third of the country’s territory, state media reported on Friday.
Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) detailed that Kim announced this large-scale project while attending a groundbreaking ceremony in Unnyul County, South Hwanghae Province. The drive will involve developments in 20 separate regions.
“We are now standing on the starting line of our gigantic struggle for another year, aimed at transforming the regions,” Kim said. He further declared, “Nearly one-third of the cities and counties across the country will have been transformed.”
The leader also praised soldiers deployed at construction sites, calling them “creators of the people’s wellbeing.”
Analyst Ahn Chan-il, a researcher originally from North Korea, told AFP that these remarks could indicate “an effort to shift significant portions of conventional military manpower into construction while focusing on (the country’s) nuclear capabilities.”
State media released images from the event showing Kim shovelling soil alongside other officials. An enthusiastic crowd, seen clapping and waving North Korean flags, attended the ceremony. Other photos depicted a large, dramatic celebratory explosion, which state media described as “thrilling.”
This announcement precedes an expected landmark congress of North Korea’s ruling Workers Party, its first in five years, though a specific date remains unconfirmed.
The nuclear-armed nation faces multiple international sanctions due to its weapons programmes. It has also long grappled with a moribund state-managed economy and chronic food shortages, with critics accusing it of prioritising military and banned weapons programmes over the welfare of its citizens.
Recently, Kim has strengthened military ties with Russia, reportedly sending thousands of troops to assist Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Experts suggest this cooperation provides an economic lifeline to his regime.
Pyongyang is working to revive inbound tourism to generate hard currency, developing lavish coastal and mountain resorts. Analysts state that a regional development policy Kim promoted two years ago tacitly acknowledges the significant disparity in living conditions between the showcase capital Pyongyang and the rest of the country.
The leader has also publicly expressed frustration over delays in some projects, reprimanding officials for laziness. Last week, he reportedly fired his vice premier in public for alleged incompetence.
