North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected various service facilities set to open at a new housing district in Pyongyang, including car repair, pet and hair shops, touting them as a valuable foundation for a “socialist civilization,” state media said Friday. Kim visited service facilities being prepared for opening at the fourth-stage area of the Hwasong district in the capital, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The Hwasong district is a newly refurbished housing area where a total of 40,000 housing units were built through four consecutive construction projects under Kim’s guidance from 2022 to 2025. The fifth-stage construction was launched in February, and at a subsequent ruling party congress, the leader ordered the city to be developed into a model administrative unit with perfect political, economic and cultural functions. Kim visited an automobile technology service center, a pet shop, a musical instrument shop and a hair salon during the recent inspection, the KCNA said. Photos released showed Kim’s daughter Ju-ae, believed to be groomed as his heir as state leader, acco
