[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] North Korea held its first city and county party secretaries training session with Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party, in attendance. At the same time, it convened a plenary session of the Supreme People's Assembly and passed a development plan for the East Coast, which appears to include Mount Kumgang.
The Workers' Party's official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on the 4th that "the first city and county party secretaries training session was held on the 3rd at the headquarters meeting room of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party." Rodong Sinmun emphasized that this meeting was "the first in the history of the Party." General Secretary Kim attended the training session to provide guidance, and city and county party secretaries nationwide, provincial party secretaries, and officials of the provincial party committees also participated.
In his opening remarks, General Secretary Kim stressed the implementation of socialist construction and balanced simultaneous development nationwide, stating, "Our socialist construction, which has entered a new phase, urgently requires the establishment of a strong driving force to fully promote the strengthening and development of cities and counties." The "new phase" is interpreted as the new five-year economic development plan prepared at the 8th Party Congress. Following the plenary session's emphasis on the Cabinet's preparation and execution of economic policies, this call urges even the Party's grassroots organizations to strive for the implementation of economic policies.
Meanwhile, on the same day, North Korea held the 3rd plenary session of the 14th Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly and approved the "East Coast Region National Land Construction Master Plan." Although the specific details of the plan were not specified in Rodong Sinmun, it is believed to include the development of Mount Kumgang. Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies said, "Since General Secretary Kim Jong-un also emphasized 'direct development,' it is highly likely that the plan includes content related to Mount Kumgang."
In October 2019, General Secretary Kim visited the Mount Kumgang tourist area and expressed his determination, saying, "Let's completely remove the shabby South Korean facilities and rebuild them in our own style." Recently, in the report summarizing the work of the 8th Party Congress, he emphasized, "The Mount Kumgang area must be transformed into a modern cultural tourism zone in our own style."
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