North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has established a large-scale, high-tech greenhouse farm in the Wihwa Island area of Sinuiju city, near the Chinese border. Wihwa Island, located on the Yalu River, is in close proximity to China. On Monday, analysts suggested that this development signals North Korea’s intensification of border area development, with potential future economic cooperation and tourism with China in mind.
Area Previously Linked to the Sinuiju Special Economic Zone… A Strategic Foothold for North Korea–China Engagement
The Workers’ Party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported that the Sinuiju Comprehensive Greenhouse Farm’s completion ceremony was held on February 1, with Kim in attendance.
Kim has visited this site six times in the past year. Despite the 223 km (about 139 miles) journey from Pyongyang to Sinuiju taking about five hours by his private train, these frequent visits demonstrate the Supreme Leader’s keen interest in the project.
Wihwa Island is adjacent to Dandong city in China’s Liaoning Province. Experts believe this location could become economically significant if border restrictions are lifted and North Korea-China economic and tourism exchanges increase.
Wihwa Island, formed by sand deposits from the Yalu River, was previously considered for joint North Korea-China development along with nearby Hwanggeumpyeong and Biseong Islands, in connection with the Sinuiju Special Economic Zone. During the 1964 North Korea-China border agreement negotiations, most islands between the Yalu and Tumen Rivers were allocated to North Korea, including Wihwa Island. Rumors persist that Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong gifted these islands to North Korea during secret talks.
Satellite imagery reveals that Wihwa Island is very close to both North Korean and Chinese mainlands, indicating that while technically an island, it’s not isolated. North Korea has long neglected this area, considering its status within the sphere of special economic cooperation with China and the challenges posed by frequent summer floods.
The creation of an advanced, large-scale greenhouse farm in this area suggests possible Chinese approval. This move may indicate China’s consideration of North Korea’s pressing need for economic growth.
Before construction began, high-ranking Chinese officials showed interest in North Korea’s greenhouse farm projects. Notably, Zhao Leji, a top Chinese official, visited the Kangdong Comprehensive Greenhouse Farm during his April 2024 trip to North Korea for the China-North Korea Friendship Year opening ceremony. In July of the same year, Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), also toured the Kangdong Greenhouse alongside Wang Yajun, the Chinese ambassador to North Korea.
These developments have led to speculation that the Sinuiju Greenhouse Farm may serve as an export hub targeting China or as a tourism attraction. Joung Eun-lee, a researcher at the Korea Unification Research Institute, noted that the establishment of a large-scale greenhouse farm in an area with poor infrastructure and a small economy could be aimed at earning foreign currency. Reports of Chinese capital investment suggest that the Wihwa area development is likely based on cooperation with China.
Loyalty Gift’ for 9th Party Congress: North Korea Highlights Local Economic Progress to Bolster Unity
Construction of the Sinuiju Greenhouse Farm began on February 10 last year. Spanning 450 jeongbo (about 4.46 million square meters, about 1,102 acres), the complex includes the farm and a research center for seed development and management called the Namjae Science Research Center. Located in the lower Sinuiju and western Uiju County areas, this facility surpasses previously celebrated greenhouse farms like Jungpyeong Namjae, Yeonpo, and Kangdong in size. The aerial view published by Rodong Sinmun shows that the entire Wihwa Island has been transformed into a farm.
North Korea is presenting the completion of the Sinuiju Greenhouse Farm as a major achievement ahead of the 9th Party Congress. The typically six-page Rodong Sinmun expanded to eight pages, with six dedicated to the greenhouse farm’s accomplishments. The newspaper described the farm’s completion as a loyal gift from young builders to the 9th Party Congress, using it to highlight local economic development and foster unity among the people.
The newspaper also emphasized the farm’s cutting-edge features, including an intelligent integrated production system that streamlines management and production, and solar greenhouses that combine fish farming with vegetable cultivation.
However, the devastating floods in the summer of 2024, which caused thousands of casualties in this area, may have prompted internal discussions in North Korea about the need to address the vulnerabilities of the Sinuiju region.
Experts believe that public sentiment in Sinuiju significantly deteriorated following the 2024 summer floods. Many analysts speculate that North Korea linked this achievement to the quinquennial party congress to boost morale in Sinuiju. On the day of the ceremony, Kim posed for commemorative photos with an estimated 65,000 workers involved in the project.
