Kim Jong-un speaks to an official during his visit to a soysauce and bean paste production facility in Songchon County, northeast of Pyongyang, Dec. 20, in this photo provided by the North's Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for the country to step up development of its industrial production in regions outside Pyongyang to strengthen rural economies, state media KCNA said Saturday.

Kim called for the modernisation of regional manufacturing facilities, improvements in agriculture, and "to come up with clear results every year, regardless of conditions."

Kim was speaking Friday at a ceremony for new production facilities in Songchon County, northeast of Pyongyang, in which he participated in ribbon-cutting and toured manufacturing rooms for products such as soy sauce and bean paste, the KCNA said.

Last year, North Korea's nominal GDP stood at 40.2 trillion won ($27.86 billion), or just 1.7 percent that of South Korea's 2,401.2 trillion won, South Korea's statistics agency said Friday.

North Korea's GDP had shrunk for three straight years since 2020 during the pandemic when the country shut its borders, and only rebounded last year, the agency said. (Reuters)