Kim's Sinuiju Visit: What's REALLY Growing in North Korea?!

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is keeping a close eye on his country's agricultural projects, recently inspecting the construction of a massive greenhouse farm in Sinuiju, a city nestled in the northwest of the country. This is according to state media reports released on Thursday, and it underlines Pyongyang's ongoing, and perhaps increasingly desperate, push for regional development initiatives.

Kim's Sinuiju Visit: What's REALLY Growing in Nort...

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the mouthpiece of the North Korean regime, reported that Kim's visit to the nearly finished Sinuiju Combined Greenhouse Farm took place the day before. Apparently, this isn't just any old greenhouse; this is a sprawling complex being erected on Wihwa Island, an islet near Sinuiju. It’s interesting to note that this very area suffered quite badly from floods just last summer, making the choice of location somewhat… curious, shall we say? It almost feels like a statement in itself.

What’s even more interesting is the reported frequency of Kim’s visits. Since he attended the groundbreaking ceremony way back in February, KCNA claims he's been back almost every month since August. The agency reports that construction is currently 97 percent complete. That's some serious progress, if you believe everything you read. I've seen projects in my own town drag on for years, so, color me skeptical.

"He noted with great satisfaction that the islet, once called a barren land, has turned into a golden islet with great potential for leading the regional development and the improvement of the material and cultural life of the local people," KCNA proclaimed. Of course, they did. You can almost picture the staged photo ops and carefully crafted narratives designed to paint Kim as a benevolent leader bringing prosperity to the masses. But what about the people who worked on it?

Analysts are predicting that North Korea will showcase the completion of the Sinuiju farm as a shining example of Kim's regional development policies. Expect it to be a central theme at the upcoming party plenary meeting next month, or perhaps at a more significant party congress slated for early next year. This wouldn't be surprising at all. This focus ties in with Kim's broader strategy, unveiled last year, to build modern factories in 20 cities and counties annually for the next decade. The goal, as always, is to boost living standards in regional areas. In the lead-up to these big party events, it’s become almost routine to see Kim inspecting regional development sites, like the hospital construction project he attended on the outskirts of Pyongyang recently. It’s all part of the show, really.