NK leader urges increased production at cement factory after party congress

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, visits the Sangwon Cement Complex in the central province of North Hwanghae on March 1, in this photo released by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency the next day. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for “all-out” efforts to boost production during his visit to a cement factory following a major ruling party gathering that wrapped up last week, the North’s state media reported Monday.

Kim made the call during his visit to the Sangwon Cement Complex in North Hwanghae Province the previous day, after the ninth congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea concluded Wednesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“The complex has since exceeded the peak-year level on an annual basis, helping us move forward step by step with greater confidence and opening up possibilities for successfully carrying out huge projects,” Kim was quoted as saying. “Let us make an all-out effort again for the good of our great country and advance forward vigorously.”

The cement factory, which has an annual production capacity of 2 million tons, is known to have played a key role in North Korea’s major construction projects in recent years, including efforts to build 50,000 flats in Pyongyang.

It marked Kim’s first on-site inspection of an industrial site since the party congress, which sets the country’s major policy goals for the next five years.

During the party congress, the North said it would carry out more construction projects nationwide.