[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, inspected the construction site of 10,000 housing units in the Pyongyang Songsin-Songhwa district, which is nearing completion, the Workers' Party's official newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on the 16th.
General Secretary Kim said, "Through the construction of 10,000 households in the first year of the five-year capital construction plan presented by the Party Congress, our architecture has taken another step forward in development," adding, "We must devise measures to strengthen national construction capabilities and accelerate the construction speed."
He then ordered the project to be perfectly completed so that residents could move in by next month’s 15th, the 'Day of the Sun' (Kim Il-sung's birthday), and emphasized, "The core is to uphold Juche ideology and national character in capital construction and thoroughly implement the principle of putting the people first, creating a distinctive heart of the country, a city for the people."
The Songsin-Songhwa district is the site where General Secretary Kim attended the groundbreaking ceremony last March, characterized by modern high-rise apartments.
North Korea set a goal at the 8th Party Congress in January last year to build a total of 50,000 housing units in Pyongyang by constructing 10,000 units annually and is currently implementing this plan. General Secretary Kim has also shown great interest in the housing district construction sites and has conducted several on-site inspections. Despite economic difficulties caused by COVID-19 and sanctions, it appears that he is trying to demonstrate the realization of his 'people-first' policy by addressing livelihood issues.
Meanwhile, according to the Rodong Sinmun article on this day, the on-site inspection was accompanied by Party Secretaries Jo Yong-won, Ri Il-hwan, and O Su-yong, along with officials leading the construction such as Kim Jong-gwan, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Defense, and Pak Hun, Deputy Premier of the Cabinet. This report confirmed that the First Vice Minister of Defense was replaced from Seo Hong-chan to Kim Jong-gwan.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
