North Korea announced a groundbreaking ceremony for a construction project aimed at promoting local development in the Panmun district of Kaesong, near the Demilitarized Zone.
On February 7, the Workers’ Party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported that the ceremony took place the previous day in Kaesong’s southernmost Panmun district, marking the start of new construction projects under the Local Development 20X10 policy.
The newspaper described 2026 as a significant year that will usher in a new era of comprehensive socialist development, highlighting the ongoing bold efforts in large-scale construction projects aimed at national progress and improving citizens’ welfare.
This groundbreaking ceremony is part of the Local Development 20X10 policy, which Kim Jong Un has championed since 2024. The initiative aims to simultaneously construct local industrial factories in 20 cities and counties over the next decade, significantly enhancing residents’ living standards. North Korea is also planning to build various infrastructure projects, including hospitals, grain management facilities, and science and technology centers.
With the ceremony held in the Panmun district, named after Panmunjom, it’s anticipated that new light industrial factories and hospitals will soon be erected there. Some analysts suggest that North Korea’s inclusion of border areas in its policy targets is intended to showcase its economic development to South Korea.
The newspaper reported that residents attending the ceremony were filled with anticipation for local development, asserting that everyone shares confidence in a new life of collective prosperity, and the belief that the party and system are superior is becoming more firmly rooted as the foundation of public sentiment.
The article also noted that similar groundbreaking ceremonies occurred in Songhwa County in the western agricultural region, Musan County (known for iron ore production and large-scale machinery manufacturing), and the Daean district.
As North Korea enters the third year of its Local Development 20X10 policy, it’s ramping up efforts by holding consecutive groundbreaking ceremonies across various regions since the start of the year.
Previously, on January 30, Kim attended the year’s first local factory groundbreaking ceremony in Unryul County, where he outlined plans to construct numerous factories, health facilities, and comprehensive service centers in 20 regions this year.
