North Korea: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for ‘all-out’ efforts to boost cement production during a visit to the Sangwon Cement Complex in North Hwanghae Province on Monday 1 March 2026, according to state media. The visit followed the conclusion of the ninth congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which outlined policy goals for the next five years.
Jong-un said "The complex has since exceeded the peak-year level on an annual basis, helping us move forward step by step with greater confidence and opening up possibilities to successfully carry out huge projects. Let us make an all-out effort again for the good of our great country and advance forward vigorously.”
The plant has a production capacity of 2Mt/yr and has supplied cement for large-scale construction schemes in North Korea, including efforts to build 50,000 flats in Pyongyang. The inspection marked Kim’s first visit to an industrial site since the party congress, at which he announced that more construction projects would be carried out nationwide.
