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North Korea's Kim inspects cement plant after setting new goals at key party congress

Published: 02 Mar. 2026, 09:59

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is seen during the Workers' Party's Ninth Party Congress held in Pyongyang on Feb. 22, in this screengrab from the state-run Korean Central Television. [YONHAP]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a cement factory on Sunday and called for continued production to meet new goals set during a recent key party congress, state media KCNA said on Monday.

North Korea held a weeklong Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers' Party in late February, during which Kim emphasized the importance of continuing construction projects such as Hwasong district in Pyongyang "for strengthening national power."

Kim lauded the cement factory workers for increased production that had made construction projects possible, KCNA said.

Kim's publicly reported appearances went up from about 70 in 2021 to 153 in 2025, according to the think tank Asan Institute for Policy Studies, partly as Kim emphasized economic growth by inspecting the completion of new building projects such as hotels, residential blocks and factories.

Reuters