North Korea Leadership Watch

Research and Analysis on the DPRK Leadership

Kim Jong Un Visits Ku’mkop General Foodstuffs Factory

Kim Jong Un tours Ku'mkop General Foodstuff Factory (Photo: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA).

Kim Jong Un tours Ku’mkop General Foodstuff Factory (Photo: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA).

Kim Jong Un’s last observed appearance was his visit to the Youth Movement Museum

DPRK state media reported on January 23 (Saturday) that Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) visited the renovated Ku’mkop General Foodstuffs Factory.  Attending the visit with him were Choe Ryong Hae (Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Secretary for Workers’ and Social Organizations), An Jong Su (Director of the WPK Light Industry Department), Jo Yong Won (deputy director of the WPK Organization Guidance Department) and Kim Yo Jong (deputy director of the WPK Propaganda and Agitation Department and Jong Un’s younger sister).

Kim Jong Un tours Kumkop General Foodstuff Factory. Also in attendance are WPK Secretary Choe Ryong Hae (a) and WPK Director of Light Industry An Jong Su (Photo: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA).

Kim Jong Un tours Kumkop General Foodstuff Factory. Also in attendance are WPK Secretary Choe Ryong Hae (a) and WPK Director of Light Industry An Jong Su (Photo: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA).

Kim Jong Un toured revolutionary history education rooms and an exhibition on the factory’s history.  He “recalled with deep emotion the course of the development of the factory built under the great loving care of leader Kim Jong Il (Kim Cho’ng-il)” and according to KCNA said, “I feel a deep yearning for the leader who said he would visit the factory, very please to hear the news about the completion of its construction.   [KJI] would have been very glad if had visited it to see [a] modernly renovated factory.”

Kim Jong Un outside the Kumkop General Foodstuff Factory for athletes. Also in attendance are WPK Organization Guidance Department deputy director Jo Yong Won (a) and WPK Secretary for Workers' and Social Organizations Choe Ryong Hae (b). In the background of the photo, annotated, is a member of Kim Jong Un's personal security escort (bodyguards) (Photo: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA).

Kim Jong Un outside the Kumkop General Foodstuff Factory for athletes. Also in attendance are WPK Organization Guidance Department deputy director Jo Yong Won (a) and WPK Secretary for Workers’ and Social Organizations Choe Ryong Hae (b). In the background of the photo, annotated, is a member of Kim Jong Un’s personal security escort (bodyguards) (Photo: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA).

Jong Un toured various shops in the factory and was briefed about its recent renovation and upgrade and its products.  He remarked that “the factory has been updated on the highest level” and what pleased “him in particular is that is production processes have put on a highly intensive basis.”  Jong Un also said that “the factory has mass-produced various kinds of foodstuffs needed for the preservation of sportspersons’ nutrition and recovery from fatigue and other good popular among citizens and achieved a great success in developing new products and its commodity designs and packing are admirable.  The success in every undertaking entirely depends on the role of officials.”  He then praised “officials of relevant fields and the factory for having devoted their wisdom and zeal to the implementation of the Party’s policies” and “expresses belief that the officials and employees of the factory would play the vanguard role in developing the nation’s food industry.”

 

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