Kim Jong-un Attends Hospital Dedication in Kangdong, Solidifying Internal Unity

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended the dedication ceremony of a hospital in Kangdong County, demonstrating his commitment to improving local healthcare. This can be seen as a policy effort to increase access to basic medical services for local residents. Korean Central Television reported that Kim Jong-un attended and gave a speech at the dedication ceremony of the Kangdong County Hospital on November 19, 2025.

Kim emphasized local development plans, attempting to strengthen party unity. Kim Jong-un's actions are particularly noteworthy as they precede the Party Plenary Meeting and the 9th Party Congress next year. The leader's focus on public welfare ahead of these major political events can be analyzed as a strategy to appease public discontent and foster loyalty to the party.

On November 17, 2025, the South Korean government, through a statement by Policy Director Kim Hong-chul, proposed military talks with North Korea to establish a baseline for the military demarcation line within the Demilitarized Zone. North Korea has not responded. On November 18, North Korea, through the Korean Central News Agency, expressed its opposition to the recently released US-ROK fact sheet, claiming that it distorted North Korea's position and strongly criticizing it.

In North Korea, a couple in their 50s who had succeeded in private business were publicly executed near the Mirim area in the Songsin-Songhwa district of Pyongyang. This incident is cited as revealing problems related to the internal economic situation in North Korea. Over 200 residents, including children, were reportedly forced to attend the execution. North Korean authorities arrested the couple in early August and sentenced them to death in early September. The specific charges against them were not disclosed, but it is presumed that they were executed for expressing dissatisfaction with the North Korean government's economic policies.

Kim Jong-un visited related agencies on the 80th anniversary of the founding of the State Security Department, focusing on solidifying the internal atmosphere. This is interpreted as an intention to further strengthen internal unity ahead of the Party Plenary Meeting and the 9th Party Congress. Kim reportedly emphasized the role and importance of the State Security Department at the event, urging loyalty to the party.

Kim Jong-un's attendance at the Kangdong County Hospital dedication and emphasis on local development plans can be interpreted as part of his efforts to secure public support and consolidate internal unity through improving public welfare. However, the silence on inter-Korean military talks and the opposition to the US-ROK fact sheet still indicate instability in the Korean Peninsula. North Korea is internally trying to strengthen party unity and gain public support through improving public welfare, while externally maintaining a hardline stance in its relationship with the US and South Korea. This dual attitude is expected to continue for the time being.