North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un attends a ceremony to inaugurate factories in the southwestern county of Jaeryong, in this photo published by the Korean Central News Agency, Jan. 7. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a ceremony to inaugurate factories in the southwestern county of Jaeryong, reaffirming his plan to push for an "upsurge" in regional construction, state media reported Wednesday.

An inauguration ceremony of regional-industry factories in Jaeryong County for the "Regional Development 20x10 Policy" took place on Tuesday, with Kim in attendance, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

The KCNA said the new factories, built on a granary, marked a significant beginning of 2025, describing it as a "year of great turn for raising the overall development of socialism onto a higher stage."

Kim said that inauguration ceremonies for regional-industry factories have taken place in 20 cities and counties, calling them "a fruition of sincere efforts rendered for the people last year" and expressing "greater pride."

He also stressed the need to provide "conditions necessary for normalizing production" at such factories, such as raw materials and skilled workers, so that the country's regional development policy can promote the material well-being of regional residents.

Kim affirmed his commitment to making this year "a year of another upsurge in regional construction by setting a higher standard as a goal ... and ensuring the economic profitability, effectiveness and prospectiveness to the maximum," the KCNA noted.

He also inspected the interiors of the factories and their manufactured products, including bakery items and soaps, and discussed ways to assist the production with accompanying officials, including Premier Pak Thae-song, according to the report.

In a parliamentary meeting in January last year, the North's leader set forth a project to build modernized factories in 20 cities and counties every year over a 10-year period to enhance the living standards of the people, named the Regional Development 20x10 Policy. (Yonhap)