The Regional Development 20×10 Policy () is a regional development program of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea announced in January 2024 under the leadership of Kim Jong Un. It aims to build modern industrial factories in 20 cities and counties per year over a 10-year period with the stated goal of improving living standards outside Pyongyang and reducing disparities between regions. In 2025, the program was expanded with the "Three Essential Projects" principle, adding plans to build public healthcare facilities, leisure facilities (including scientific and educational) and grain management facilities in target localities.
Background Regional inequality has been a recurring issue in North Korea since the economic crises of the 1990s, with resources disproportionately concentrated in Pyongyang and selected provincial centers. At the Eighth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in 2021, Kim Jong Un signaled a new emphasis on balanced regional growth, with Kimhwa County designated as a pilot site.
The "20×10" slogan was later adopted to encapsulate the nationwide expansion of this policy: 20 localities per year for 10 years, symbolizing both scale and long-term commitment.
Objectives Analysts and state media identify the main objectives of the 20×10 Policy as: industrial modernisation through the construction of modern regional-industry factories producing food, clothing, paper, and other daily necessities, balanced development to narrow the gap between Pyongyang and rural provinces, integration of local factories with research and educational institutions, national self-sufficiency by reducing reliance on imports under sanctions, strengthening political legitimacy through visible economic projects, and regional self sufficiency of all cities and counties by laying a firm foundation for development.
Implementation The policy was formally launched at the Tenth Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly in January 2024.
Logistical implementation includes:
The reorganisation of a central committee mechanism for regional industrial modernization into a policy-focused "Non-Permanent Central Committee for Promoting Regional Development 20×10 Policy", responsible with promoting party-aligned projects and architecture. Establishment of the "Non-Permanent Ministry of National Defence Group for the Regional Development 20×10 Policy", responsible for managing labor, building materials, and directing construction projects. Mobilisation of Workers' Party and Korean People's Army units to provide labour, materials, and logistics (including creating a dedicated construction regiment). Selection of the first 20 localities, including counties in Kangwon, South Pyongan, and North Hwanghae provinces, which began factory construction in 2024.
By early 2025, DPRK media reported on the completion of multiple facilities in the first batch of counties, including regional-industry factories which typically consists of: a foodstuffs factory, a garment factory, and a daily-necessities factory.
In February 2025, the WPK acknowledged that "the construction of regional-industry factories would not be enough to get rid of the age-old backwardness" of the rural regions, DPRK media reported. Thus, the authorities added the "Three Essential Projects" principle to the development program, which are to be pursued alongside the industrial projects. These projects consist of "healthcare facilities, leisure complexes and grain management facilities in all the cities and counties across the country". Kim Jong Un during the Ninth Congress of the WPK pushed for the implementation of the "Three Essential Projects" in 20 cities and counties every year "without fail", starting in 2026.
In practice with his predecessors, Kim Jong Un occasionally conducts field guidance or inspections of regional development policy construction projects in order to boost public morale and support the leadership's legitimacy. In 2025, he toured Kangdong, Sinyang, Pukchang, and Unsan counties' construction projects. In 2026, he supervised the construction projects in Ragwon County and noted that in order to further accelerate regional development, the 20×10 Policy should be "expanded and deepened in a gigantic way in the future".
List of projects under the 20×10 Policy
2024 (First year) Locality Province/Municipality Project Type(s) Status Key Date(s) Notes Songchon County South Pyongan Province Regional-industry factories (Foodstuff; Garment; Daily-necessities) Completed / Operational Groundbreaking: 28 Feb 2024 Inauguration: 20 Dec 2024 First groundbreaking and inauguration under 20×10.Sukchon CountySouth Pyongan ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 5 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 8 Jan 2025Onchon County (Nampo)Nampo MunicipalityRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 5 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 20 Jan 2025Products exhibited in Pyongyang.Unpa CountyNorth Hwanghae ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 6 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 10 Jan 2025 Kyongsong County North Hamgyong Province Regional-industry factories Completed / Operational Groundbreaking: 6 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 12 Jan 2025 Kusong CityNorth Pyongan ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 6 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 30 Jan 2025Factories plus hospital project (2025) announced.Orang CountyNorth Hamgyong ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 6 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 31 Jan 2025Ichon CountyKangwon ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 6 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 9 Feb 2025 Jaeryong County South Hwanghae Province Regional-industry factories Completed / Operational Groundbreaking: 7 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 7 Jan 2025 Early-2025 opening, part of 2024 tranche.Unchon CountySouth Hwanghae ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 7 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 14 Jan 2025Household goods shown at exhibitions.Yontan CountyNorth Hwanghae ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 7 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 16 Jan 2025 Kujang County North Pyongan Province Regional-industry factories Completed / Operational Groundbreaking: 7 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 24 Jan 2025 Opened with mass events. Kosan County Kangwon Province Regional-industry factories Completed / Operational Groundbreaking: 7 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 29 Jan 2025 Tongsin County Chagang Province Regional-industry factories Completed / Operational Groundbreaking: 7 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 4 Feb 2025 Remote mountainous county.Hamju CountySouth Hamyong ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 10 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 18 Jan 2025 Jangpung County Kaesong Municipality Regional-industry factories Completed / Operational Groundbreaking: 10 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 1 Feb 2025 Kumya County South Hamgyong Province Regional-industry factories Completed / Operational Groundbreaking: 10 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 3 Feb 2025 One of the larger year-one sites.Unsan CountyNorth Pyongan ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 10 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 7 Feb 2025Garments shown at spring exhibitions. Kim Hyong Jik County Ryanggang Province Regional-industry factories Completed / Operational Groundbreaking: 10 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 11 Feb 2025 Last of the Year-1 inaugurations. Usi County Chagang Province Regional-industry factories Completed / Operational Groundbreaking: 11 Mar 2024 Inauguration: 25 Jan 2025 Clothing factory shown in official media round-ups.Sinpo CitySouth Hamgyong ProvinceOffshore farmCompleted / OperationalAnnounced: 15 Jul 2024 Inauguration: 28 Dec 2024Built as a model base of advanced offshore aquaculture under 20×10 according to DPRK media. Excluded from the 20 factories of the first year of the policy. Additional factories built in 2025.
2025 (Second year) Locality Province/Municipality Project Type(s) Status Key Date(s) NotesKangdong CountyPyongyang MunicipalityHospital; Leisure complex; FactoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking of hospital and leisure complex: 6 Feb 2025 Groundbreaking of factories: 28 Feb 2025
Guidance: 3 Jun 2025
Inauguration of hospital: 19 Nov 2025
Inauguration of factories and leisure complex: 15 Dec 2025 Flagship Year-2 project.Ryonggang County (Nampo)Nampo MunicipalityHospital; FactoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 9 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 29 Dec 2025Planned Year-2 package per state media summaries. Last of the Year-2 projects to be inaugurated.Sinyang CountySouth Pyongan ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 24 Feb 2025 Inspection: 3 Dec 2025
Inauguration: 15 Dec 2025 Koksan CountyNorth Hwanghae ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 24 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 20 Dec 2025Jongpyong CountySouth Hamgyong ProvinceLeisure complex; FactoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 24 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 25 Dec 2025Puryong CountyNorth Hamgyong ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 25 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 15 Dec 2025Taegwan CountyNorth Pyongan ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 25 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 15 Dec 2025Rangnim CountyChagang ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 25 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 15 Dec 2025Sinpo CitySouth Hamgyong ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 25 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 19 Dec 2025Add-on to 2024 offshore farm project.Sepho CountyKangwon ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 25 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 20 Dec 2025Kaepung DistrictKaesong MunicipalityLeisure complex; FactoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 25 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 26 Dec 2025Hwangju CountyNorth Hwanghae ProvinceGrain management station; FactoriesUnder constructionGroundbreaking: 26 Feb 2025 Inauguration of factories: 16 Dec 2025Major 2-part project within 20×10 scope.Pukchang CountySouth Pyongan ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 27 Feb 2025 Inspection: 3 Dec 2025
Inauguration: 18 Dec 2025Healthcare facilities and leisure complexes announced to be a focus in the coming year of the policy according to Kim Jong Un.Changgang CountyChagang ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 27 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 18 Dec 2025Cholwon CountyKangwon ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 27 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 18 Dec 2025Plans to expand production by directing efforts on materials for the factories was stated in a speech.Paechon CountySouth Hwanghae ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 27 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 20 Dec 2025Kilju CountyNorth Hamgyong ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 27 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 23 Dec 2025Yomju CountyNorth Pyongan ProvinceFactories; Seafood processing facilityCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 27 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 26 Dec 2025Jangyon CountySouth Hwanghae ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 28 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 18 Dec 2025Kim Jong Suk CountyRyanggang ProvinceRegional-industry factoriesCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 28 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 20 Dec 2025Kusong CityNorth Pyongan ProvinceHospitalCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 24 Feb 2025 Inauguration: 13 Dec 2025Add-on to 2024 factories.Ragwon CountySouth Hamgyong ProvinceOffshore farm; Fishermen’s housingCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 14 Feb 2025 Completion: 26 Aug 2025
Inauguration: 30 Aug 2025Aquaculture project under 20×10. The site was officially named as Ragwonpho.Unsan CountySouth Pyongan ProvincePaper factoryCompleted / OperationalGroundbreaking: 25 Feb 2025