The second yr of North Korea’s 20×10 regional growth plan, which seeks to construct regional industrial hubs in 20 counties yearly for ten years, has been accomplished. In comparison with the primary yr, the second yr’s initiatives have been accomplished earlier and obtained extra consideration from Kim Jong Un. Notably, the scope of the plan expanded past native manufacturing to incorporate three core areas: science and know-how amenities, grain administration stations, and hospitals.
The state seems happy with the progress to-date, based mostly on the continued publicity and profile it has obtained in state media. The mission will doubtless proceed to diversify the sorts of amenities constructed in 2026 based mostly on state priorities that can be introduced on the upcoming Ninth Celebration Congress.
Nevertheless, regardless of the development successes depicted in North Korean state media protection, there are nonetheless questions concerning the long-term viability of those amenities, given how locally-sourced inputs are usually briefly provide.
The Places
The areas chosen for the 20×10 mission in 2025 have been unfold throughout the nation with two counties chosen in every of North and South Hamgyong, North and South Hwanghae, North and South Phyongan, Jagang and Kangwon provinces. A single county was chosen in every of Ryanggang, Kaesong and Nampho. For the primary time, the mission included the Pyongyang space, particularly Kangdong, positioned about 30 kilometers from the town heart.
The geographical unfold kind of mirrors initiatives constructed within the first yr of the plan and implies that work has been performed in all cities and provinces—aside from Rason—over the primary two years of the mission. Though with round 160 remaining counties and districts to select from over the subsequent eight years, there may be loads of time for Rason to nonetheless be included within the 20×10 plan.
Observe: This evaluation solely covers initiatives and areas that carry the “20×10” identify in North Korean state media. There are different regional growth initiatives happening in North Korea that aren’t included, akin to the big greenhouse mission in Sinuiju.
Earlier Completion
All of the second yr’s initiatives have been opened earlier than the top of the yr. This stands in distinction to the primary slate of initiatives which, with one exception, have been all began in 2024 however opened in January and February of 2025.
The principle driver for this speedy efficiency was doubtless Kim Jong Un’s directions delivered on the social gathering plenary assembly in early December 2025, calling for all initiatives to be accomplished and launched by yr finish.
The end result was a collection of openings that appeared considerably rushed. On the finish of the primary yr, the 20 initiatives have been opened over 20 days, permitting for max publicity for every one, however the 2025 spherical of initiatives have been opened over ten days. On December 15 for example, 5 initiatives have been opened on the identical day: Kangdong, Taegwan, Rangnim, Sinyang and Puryong
The on-time openings have been doubtless helped by expertise discovered through the first yr, and presumably an extended time to plan and put together for the second yr of the mission.
The next chart exhibits areas and opening days.
As within the earlier yr, every opening ceremony was a neighborhood event with native folks introduced out to listen to speeches and look across the factories below the attention of state media.
At lots of the ceremonies, the soldier-builders of the 124th Regiment of the Korean Individuals’s Military, who had been answerable for development on the websites, have been additionally current.
Kim in Attendance
One notable facet of the second yr of the plan was the elevated involvement of Kim Jong Un in opening of the tranche of 20×10 areas.
In each 2024 and 2025, Kim attended groundbreaking ceremonies to kick off the brand new part and all through, state media reported 4 development website visits per yr.
On the finish of the primary yr, he attended simply two opening ceremonies: Songchon in late 2024 and Jaeryong in early 2025. However on the finish of 2025, Kim attended six ceremonies inside 5 of the 20 websites (in Kangdong, the hospital and factories have been opened on completely different days).
Kim introduced his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, to the regional manufacturing unit openings in each Kangdong and Sinpho.
Factories and Extra
Mirroring the primary yr of the mission, every of the 2025 areas obtained the identical three factories: a foodstuff manufacturing unit, a clothes manufacturing unit and a “day by day requirements” manufacturing unit, which makes home goods, furnishings and plastic merchandise.
Nevertheless, on the eleventh plenary assembly of the eighth social gathering congress in January 2025, delegates voted to incorporate extra “superior well being amenities, amenities for science, schooling and cultural actions and grain administration amenities.”
In consequence, the 2025 mission websites in Kangdong and Ryonggang additionally obtained new hospitals, development crews returned to Kusong—which was among the many 2024 areas—to construct a hospital. It’s unclear why the opposite areas have been excluded.
These new hospitals be a part of the Pyongyang Normal Hospital that was additionally opened in 2025 after a number of years of delays. Kim visited each the Kangdong and Ryonggang hospitals. State media protection of those visits confirmed what look like fashionable hospitals with diagnostic rooms, imaging gear akin to a CT scanner, affected person wards and an working theater.
Nevertheless, development doesn’t seem to have been fully easy crusing. In September, because the mission was nearing completion, Kim inspected the Kangdong Hospital, of which state media reported he highlighted “a collection of deviations revealed within the development.” The deviations weren’t specified.
Past hospitals, a brand new paper mill was constructed in Unsan, which was among the many 2024 batch of 20×10 areas. The addition of a paper mill matches work in Kimhwa County in 2022, which was the unique mannequin for the 20×10 mission. When the Kimhwa mission was full, the county had gained factories manufacturing meals, clothes, day by day requirements and paper.
In Jongphyong and Ryonggang the initiatives additionally included leisure complexes. Within the case of Jongphyong, the complicated included a library, cinema, swimming pool, and a business space with a meals store, electronics retailer, basic retailer, pharmacy, tailor and restaurant.
Trying Forward
Based mostly on the elevated consideration from Kim Jong Un and the vote of confidence the mission obtained on the eleventh Celebration plenary, it seems virtually sure that regional growth and the 20×10 mission will stay on the heart of the state’s plans in 2026 and past.
The state has not introduced areas for 2026 growth, however the subsequent batch could be anticipated to incorporate the identical factories and proceed the brand new concentrate on well being, leisure and grain distribution.
Kim Jong Un has additionally signaled that his growth of Pyongyang will proceed with new initiatives on the town’s east aspect, indicating the quick tempo of growth within the nation won’t be slowing down.
