김정은, 방중 후 신의주 일대 공장 찾아
Kim Jong-un visited a number of sites in Sindo-gun and Sinuiju... areas near the North Korean border with China.
This follows his visit to Beijing in June,.... where the regime's leader toured a number of major industrial facilities.
For more on the significance of the inspections, we turn to our Kan Hyeong-woo.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made his first public appearances after his trip to Beijing.
He visited Sindo-gun County and Sinuiju in North Korea's northeastern Pyonganbuk-do Province,... near the border with China.
According to the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency ,Kim looked around a large-scale reed farm in Sindo-gun County and made on-site inspections of two textile plants... and a cosmetics factory in Sinuiju.
It's reported that Kim expressed dissatisfaction about the plants and the workers.
He said that they're not living up to Sinuiju's (QUOTE UNQUOTE)"proud tradition" and urged them to increase productivity.
His constant message in all three places he visited was "modernization."
"So, mass production is what North Korea considers as 'modernization'. But you need to first check the facilities of old factories in North Korea to modernize. In other words, Kim Jong-un is going to put all-out efforts into economic development."
There's also speculation that Kim Jong-un's visit can be interpreted as a move aimed at developing economic ties with China... as his recent on-site inspections follow his visit to Beijing in June and these areas all share borders with China.
His tour included a stop at Hwangkumpyong, an island where the North and China had agreed to develop a special economic zone back in 2011 before the project was stalled following the execution of Kim's uncle Jang Song-thaek in 2013.
China has been implementing the United Nations' sanctions on North Korea, but after the North Korea-U.S. summit and Kim's visit to China, Beijing recently raised the need to ease sanctions.
Kan Hyeong-woo, Arirang News
