North's Kim tours light industry expo, touts regional policy achievements

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a garment and footwear exhibition, highlighting achievements in light industry production under his signature regional development policy, state media reported Tuesday.

Kim toured the 2026 National Garment and Footwear Exhibition the previous day and expressed satisfaction that products on display showed "rapid and substantial" development in light industry, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

According to photos published by the state media, Kim was accompanied on the tour by his daughter, Ju-ae, and his wife, Ri Sol-ju.

On display were more than 70,700 items of clothing of over 30 types and more than 170,000 pairs of shoes of over 60 kinds, produced at light industry factories across the nation under Kim's regional development policy, according to the report.

"This is a clear demonstration of the validity and vitality of the Party's policy aimed at eliminating the differences between the central and local areas and between urban and rural areas and achieving simultaneous and balanced development of the whole country," the North's leader was quoted as saying by the KCNA.

In 2024, Kim unveiled a policy to build modern factories in 20 cities and counties each year over a 10-year period to improve the living conditions of people in regional areas.

Yonhap