North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he was “ashamed and sorry” for neglecting economic development outside the capital during his time in power, according to state media on Thursday, promising to reverse the trend by building factories in every county over the next 10 years.

The remarks came in a speech the previous day at a groundbreaking ceremony for one of the first 20 counties chosen for the construction project as part of the "Regional Development 20x10 Policy" he introduced last month.