Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, attended the opening ceremony of the Samgwang Livestock Farm in Unjon County, North Pyongan Province. There, he reaffirmed his commitment to advancing rural modernization and developing the livestock industry.
On Tuesday, the party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported that the grand opening ceremony of the Samgwang Livestock Farm took place on Monday. The farm is touted as a model for building a new era of socialist rural communities and advancing the livestock industry. The paper noted that Kim personally attended the event.
According to the newspaper, the Samgwang Livestock Farm is a state-of-the-art facility equipped with modern housing, processing plants, breeding facilities, public amenities, and a solar power station. The site, which previously housed an outdated livestock farm, appears to have undergone extensive modernization. Rodong Sinmun hailed this development as a timely example that demonstrates the legitimacy and effectiveness of the regime’s rural development policies.
In his address, Kim expressed great satisfaction, stating that this is how we must accomplish the goals. This sets the standard for a new transformation. He emphasized the importance of directly shaping the level of change they aspire to achieve and lauded the modernization of the Samgwang Farm as a symbol of self-reliance.
Kim stressed that this initiative is not merely for show but represents a new starting point and innovative benchmark for guiding the future development of rural areas and livestock farming. He urged central party departments and related sectors to aim for modernizing all farms to the standard of the Samgwang Farm, calling for intensified guidance on rural development. This suggests plans to establish livestock farms modeled after Samgwang throughout the country.
Kim praised the Samgwang Livestock Farm for achieving high levels of informatization, intelligence, intensification, and industrialization. He highlighted achievements such as indoor breeding of dairy cows and goats, scientific management of feeding, disease prevention, and individualized animal care. The leader also noted the automation of milking, transportation, and processing, as well as the implementation of an intelligent integrated system that analyzes and directs production and management in real-time.
He also emphasized the need to expand veterinary drug production and establish research units for livestock information technology, underscoring the importance of industry specialization.
Additionally, Kim presented five key areas for livestock development: securing quality breeding stock, ensuring sufficient feed, implementing scientific feeding management, maintaining rigorous veterinary hygiene, and advancing informatization and intelligence in production and management. He instructed that the nation must boldly break away from the traditional notion that raising livestock requires extensive pastures and roads, advocating for a shift towards using science and technology to raise animals in modern barns.
After inspecting the dairy production facilities, Kim remarked that their products are on par with those from central facilities. He added that the goal should be to provide all citizens with a variety of dairy products, including milk, butter, cheese, and processed meats.
During his visit, Kim sampled various farm-produced items, including butter, cheese, and yogurt. He also personally entered the barn to check on the condition of the dairy cows and goats, demonstrating hands-on leadership.
Notably, a photo in Rodong Sinmun captured Raclette cheese, a product from the farm. This Swiss-origin cheese, typically melted and served with vegetables and meats, likely reflects Kim’s experience studying in Switzerland as a teenager.
In a surprising move, Kim criticized policies of his predecessors during his speech. He remarked that the socialist rural thesis presented by Kim Il Sung in 1964 had not functioned as intended, stating that it needs to recognize why its rural areas remain impoverished despite more than half a century of effort.
This statement marks a departure from North Korea’s tradition of treating previous leaders’ policies as sacrosanct, regardless of their outcomes. Analysts interpret this as a sign of Kim’s deep commitment to national development and willingness to break with past orthodoxies.