N. Korea completes building factories, hospital planned for this year under Kim's regional policy

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a ceremony to open a hospital and light-industry factories in the western city of Nampho, state media reported Tuesday, marking the completion of building such modern facilities in 20 cities and counties planned for this year. The inauguration ceremony took place in Ryonggang County the previous day, opening up a "new phase" for advancing the comprehensive development of socialist construction, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The inauguration of the Ryonggang County Hospital and regional-industry factories successfully concluded the construction of model hospitals and leisure complexes and regional-industry factories in 20 cities and counties planned for this year," Kim said. In January last year, the North's leader unveiled his signature regional development policy to build modern factories in 20 cities and counties each year over a 10-year period to improve the living conditions of people in regional areas. In February, North Korea unveiled a plan to build hospitals in three counties in a pilot project this year and cons