For the People: DPRK
-Kim Jong Un’s World of Devoted Service for People (1)
Important Decisions
It was in January last year that the term Regional Development 20×10 Policy began to appear in the DPRK’s media. The policy is geared towards drastically improving the people’s material and cultural living standards in all cities and counties across the country, namely the entire population within 10 years by building modern regional-industry factories in 20 counties every year.
At the 10th Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK he said: An important issue arising in improving the people’s living standards at present is to tackle the differences between the capital city and the provinces and the imbalance between regions. Although provinces may differ in geological environment, resources, economic potentials and living environment, there should not be any backward region in terms of people’s living standards in the territory of the Republic. He then set forth the Regional Development 20×10 Policy aimed to develop onto a higher stage the material and cultural living standards of regional people across the country at the earliest possible date by vigorously pushing forward with the regional industrial development.
As is already known, the country is steadily building up the self-defence capabilities to safeguard the national sovereignty and people’s safety and striving for structural reforms and development of all economic sectors while pushing ahead with unprecedentedly huge housing construction projects in all rural areas as well as in the capital city every year. In this context, launching another massive project to open up a fresh phase of development for the country’s regional industries is evidently an ambitious plan that cannot be put forward with usual decision.
Over the recent years the large-scale Jungphyong Greenhouse Farm and the Ryonpho Greenhouse Farm have been built and the ceremonies to celebrate the construction of new houses in rural areas took place almost every day. All these achievements are the outcome of his grand plan to improve the living standards of the regional people.
Yet, he thought this was insufficient to improve the living conditions of the regional people. It was his firm intention that the Party and the state should bear heavier burden to bring about a substantial transformation in the people’s living and that they are not allowed to wait for favourable conditions and environment to be provided.
Later, the 19th Enlarged Meeting of the Political Bureau of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea was held to confirm the Regional Development 20×10 Policy, a milestone for regional industrial development, to achieve a sure and rapid development of the regional economy and give an impetus to the comprehensive national rejuvenation.
-Kim Jong Un’s World of Devoted Service for People (2)
Journey of Devotion
In late February last year a groundbreaking ceremony signalling the start of the implementation of the Regional Development 20×10 Policy was held in the presence of Kim Jong Un, president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, in Songchon County of South Phyongan Province which is a typical intermediate, mountainous area of the DPRK.
Addressing the ceremony, he said: Though this is a gathering held on an empty place with only an artist’s impression unfolded, it will proclaim the beginning of an important revolutionary undertaking aimed at promoting the well-being of the regional people, and this amply proves the historic weight of the undertaking; anyone who is born on this land should lead an abundant and civilized life under the socialist policy of the state, whether they live in the capital city or regions, in towns or mountain villages, and it is the core of the new policy of regional development to see to it that they do so without fail.
The event was followed by similar ceremonies in 19 cities and counties
After the event the efforts to implement the regional development policy made vigorous strides. Kim Jong Un convened on-site consultative meetings where he advanced the strategies for the successful promotion of the policy and the transformative development of regions and took relevant measures for implementing them. In addition, he gave field guidance at the construction sites of regional-industry factories in Hamju County of South Hamgyong Province, North Phyongan Province and Jaeryong County of South Hwanghae Province so that they could be built at the highest levels.
A consultative meeting for regional economic development held in July last year on the shore in Sinpho of South Hamgyong Province marked a milestone in the drive for the Korean-style development of regional economy. At the meeting he explained the importance of the effective use and development of the economic potentials and resources of the seas in coastal cities and counties and clarified the practical ways and tasks to that end. Right after the end of the meeting he toured the offshore farming ground aboard a small boat despite the sultry mid-summer heat.
As an outcome of his devoted efforts, in only 290-odd days since the beginning of the construction, modern regional-industry factories equipped with highly automated and scientific production lines and suited to regional features were built.
On December 20, 2024 an inauguration ceremony of regional-industry factories in Songchon County took place with splendour in his presence. It was followed by similar events in other cities and counties with the beginning of this year.