Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a ceremony to launch the first modern hospital built under the country's regional medical center construction plan, calling its completion in nine months a "real transformation."

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim attended the inauguration ceremony for Kangdong County Hospital, marking the first hospital completed under his ongoing development initiative to construct factories and medical centers across the country. This effort aims to promote regional development. "This is a moment ... when we are seeing the first entity of modern regional hospitals," Kim stated in his speech. He emphasized that their efforts to enhance the lives of regional citizens have now reached a comprehensive stage.

Proclaiming the inauguration in the same year as the groundbreaking is deemed the "standard speed" of achieving the nation's goals, according to Kim. He described this as the country's "mettle" and the pace of transformation and progress.

The hospital, as reported by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on Nov. 20, 2025, has fundamentally changed the concept of regional hospitals. Kim highlighted that its construction was exemplary and that its operation will serve as a model for public health development in regional areas.

Kim's regime has been pursuing the Regional Development 20 X 10 Policy since last year. This policy aims to construct modern factories in 20 regional areas annually over a decade to improve living standards in rural regions. As part of this plan, North Korea is also striving to build modern hospitals and public amenities to bridge the urban-rural divide. The construction of Kangdong County Hospital commenced in February this year.

During his speech on Wednesday, Kim announced that six modern hospitals, including Kangdong County Hospital, will be inaugurated nationwide this year. He declared, "We can proudly say that this is a real transformation."

Despite North Korea's claims of modernizing its public health service, it remains uncertain whether the country can secure the necessary medical equipment to equip these new hospitals amid ongoing international sanctions.