SEOUL, Sept. 12 (UPI) — Kim Jong Un made his first public appearance since Friday, when North Korea conducted what experts have said is the country’s fifth nuclear test.
State media ran images of a happy Kim on Tuesday, local time, touring Farm No. 1116 under the supervision of Korean People’s Army Unit 810, Yonhap reported.
This was Kim’s first public visit to the farm since August 2015, according to South Korea press.
During his most recent visit, Kim reportedly said that he was “extremely happy” after receiving reports of improvements in the varieties of corn and rice at the farm.
“When I see the achievements on the farm I feel an uplifting of the chest and my mood is meliorated,” the North Korean leader said, according to Pyongyang-controlled news agency KCNA.
It was unclear when Kim visited the farm, but news of the inspection was published on Tuesday, four days after North Korea’s fifth test.
Kim praised the “truly great” farm workers and agricultural researchers for devoting their passion to developing crops of “superior varieties” that can withstand drought and other natural disasters, according to North Korean reports.
A new variety of corn was also developed at the farm that Kim is calling the “Pyongok No. 9,” KCNA stated.
Kim called for a “seed revolution” to solve the “food problem of the [North Korean] people.” The focus of efforts should be on developing crops that demand little fertilizer but still guarantee a secure harvest, Kim said.
Top senior officials who accompanied Kim include Hwang Pyong So, political director of the Korean People’s Army.
Kim has praised the military farm and KPA Unit 810, previously highlighted for its loyalty to the North Korean leadership.
