Spokesman Report
It was in January last year that the term Regional Development 20×10 Policy began to appear in the DPRK’s media. The policy is geared towards drastically improving the people’s material and cultural living standards in all cities and counties across the country, namely the entire population within 10 years by building modern regional-industry factories in 20 counties every year.
At the 10th Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK he said: An important issue arising in improving the people’s living standards at present is to tackle the differences between the capital city and the provinces and the imbalance between regions. Although provinces may differ in geological environment, resources, economic potentials and living environment, there should not be any backward region in terms of people’s living standards in the territory of the Republic. He then set forth the Regional Development 20×10 Policy aimed to develop onto a higher stage the material and cultural living standards of regional people across the country at the earliest possible date by vigorously pushing forward with the regional industrial development.
As is already known, the country is steadily building up the self-defence capabilities to safeguard the national sovereignty and people’s safety and striving for structural reforms and development of all economic sectors while pushing ahead with unprecedentedly huge housing construction projects in all rural areas as well as in the capital city every year. In this context, launching another massive project to open up a fresh phase of development for the country’s regional industries is evidently an ambitious plan that cannot be put forward with usual decision.
Over the recent years the large-scale Jungphyong Greenhouse Farm and the Ryonpho Greenhouse Farm have been built and the ceremonies to celebrate the construction of new houses in rural areas took place almost every day. All these achievements are the outcome of his grand plan to improve the living standards of the regional people.
Yet, he thought this was insufficient to improve the living conditions of the regional people. It was his firm intention that the Party and the state should bear heavier burden to bring about a substantial transformation in the people’s living and that they are not allowed to wait for favourable conditions and environment to be provided.
Later, the 19th Enlarged Meeting of the Political Bureau of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea was held to confirm the Regional Development 20×10 Policy, a milestone for regional industrial development, to achieve a sure and rapid development of the regional economy and give an impetus to the comprehensive national rejuvenation.
