Kusong: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected the construction site for a regional hospital, criticizing the country's construction standards and demanding immediate improvements in quality, state media reported on Tuesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim issued these directives during a visit to Kusong City Hospital in North Phyongan Province, where he reviewed the construction progress. Kusong is one of three regions Kim identified in February for the development of model hospitals as part of a broader initiative to establish regional hospitals in 20 cities and counties each year, beginning next year, to enhance local healthcare access.
Last week, Kim also visited a hospital construction site in Kangdong County, near Pyongyang. This site is one of the three selected for the pilot hospital project. Kim pointed out that many military personnel are being deployed to major construction sites, but the workforce efficiency is compromised due to lack of specialization and inexperience in construction organization and command, as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim emphasized the need for "a rapid state measure" to achieve better quality in the construction workforce. He highlighted the importance of training skilled workers and ordered the organization of an "intensive short course" to enhance construction capacity at all levels. Additionally, he instructed the establishment of a firm specializing in medical equipment assembly, the increased use of machinery in construction, and the modernization of construction equipment.
Kim was accompanied on the site visit by Jo Yong-won and Ri Hi-yong, both secretaries of the party's Central Committee, along with other party officials.