North Korea held groundbreaking ceremonies for new factories in 14 areas across the country this week, kicking off the second year of leader Kim Jong Un’s rural development project.

Swiss Ambassador to the DPRK Jurg Stephan presented his credentials to North Korean officials, potentially opening the way for more diplomatic exchanges as Pyongyang continues to emerge from under COVID-19 controls.

Kim Jong Un also exchanged letters with the leader of pro-DPRK ethnic Koreans in Japan, praising him for serving the regime on the occasion of his 90th birthday. Chongryon Chairman Ho Jong Man has been