SEOUL, North Korea called Monday for developing the country's provincial regions to improve the livelihood of people living outside the capital area. The North's main newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, carried an article on its front page stressing that developing the economy in provincial regions is an "important task" that can no longer be postponed or neglected. The article comes a week after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered the construction of modern factories in 20 regional counties every year to improve the livelihood of people over the next decade. The newspaper touted Kimhwa County in the North's Kangwon Province as an exemplary model of such development, noting that products manufactured in factories in the province have received favorable reviews. Following severe damage from heavy rains in August 2020, the county has frequently been highlighted in state media reports, including the coverage of Kim's visit to the county in October the same year. North Korea has been emphasizing the importance of economic development and strengthening the role of the Cabinet as the "economic control tower" as the country is grappling with severe food shortages and economic hardships. The North has been under tightened U.N. sanctions, which call for, among other things, a ban on the country's exports of coal and other mineral resources to cut off North Korea's access to hard currency. Source: Yonhap News Agency