Recently, Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party, has been attending inauguration ceremonies for local industrial factories, promoting the achievements of his local development policy. However, he was notably absent from the inauguration ceremony of a local factory in Kilju County, North Hamgyong Province, on Tuesday.
Some analysts suggest that Kim intentionally avoided visiting the area due to its proximity to the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, which has been a focal point of international scrutiny.
The party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, featured a front-page report on Wednesday, detailing the grand inauguration ceremony in Kilju County. The newspaper dedicated an entire page to extensively covering the event.
The report included 29 photographs capturing celebratory fireworks and residents exploring the factory, smiling as they tried out the products.
However, Kim’s absence was conspicuous. Only high-ranking officials attended, including Ri Il Hwan, the party’s propaganda secretary; Jong Kyong Taek, director of the Army’s General Political Bureau; and Pak Jong Gun, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Planning Commission.
This absence stands in contrast to Kim’s recent string of appearances at local factory inaugurations as the year draws to a close. He attended ceremonies in Jangyeon County on December 18 and in Sinpo on 19, following his participation in the inauguration of a local factory in Kangdong County on the 15th.
The construction of local factories has been a cornerstone of Kim’s agenda this year. He introduced the Local Development 20X10 Policy, aiming to build modern industrial facilities in 20 cities and counties annually, with the goal of elevating the nation’s material and cultural living standards within a decade.
As North Korea approaches the 9th Party Congress, set to convene early next year for the first time in five years, there’s a palpable push to showcase achievements in local development to the populace.
While Kim hasn’t attended every local factory inauguration, the events on December 15, 18, and 19 featured multiple simultaneous ceremonies, distinguishing them from the single event on Tuesday. Given this context, Kim’s absence from the significant Kilju County inauguration, which warranted front-page coverage in Rodong Sinmun, has sparked speculation about underlying reasons.
Kilju County is home to the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, where North Korea conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017. North Korea claimed success in testing a hydrogen bomb designed for ICBMs during its last test on September 3, 2017.
This geographical significance raises the possibility that Kim strategically chose to skip the inauguration. Observers note that with U.S. and South Korean intelligence closely monitoring Kim’s movements, a visit to Kilju could inadvertently send unintended signals.
In 2018, during denuclearization talks, North Korea made a show of destroying the nuclear test site by detonating its tunnels. However, following the collapse of negotiations, the regime has gradually restored key tunnels. Intelligence agencies believe North Korea could conduct a nuclear test at any time, pending Kim’s decision.
The U.S. Director of National Intelligence reported to Congress last March that North Korea stands ready to conduct a nuclear test on short notice. This capability, the report stated, serves to bolster North Korea’s influence and status, defend the regime, and implicitly seek recognition as a nuclear-armed state.
In this context, a Kim visit to Kilju County would inevitably fuel speculation about a potential inspection of the Punggye-ri site and considerations of future nuclear tests. The proximity is striking – the center of Kilju County lies a mere 15 miles from the entrance to the Punggye-ri test site.
Given Kim’s current focus on domestic issues, particularly economic matters and public welfare, while minimizing provocative messages or diplomatic gestures toward the U.S. and South Korea, he may have decided to avoid unnecessary speculation by steering clear of the nuclear test site vicinity, thus evading the watchful eyes of U.S. and South Korean intelligence.