North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a saltworks in an apparent move to encourage salt production to better meet the country's demand for the key mineral, the North's official news agency reported Tuesday.

The North's Korean Central News Agency said that Kim visited the Kwisong Saltern to learn about salt production from underground ultra-saline water. The plant is run by the Korean People's Army.

Kim's latest visit to the salt works is the fifth in his inspection of industrial sites following the seventh congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea which was concluded on May 9.

At the party gathering in Pyongyang, Kim made it clear that the country will continue to pursue the policy of developing nuclear weapons in tandem with boosting the country's moribund economy, commonly known as the "byeongjin" policy.

According to the KCNA report, the KPA produces large quantities of salt on a small field using underground saline water.

It said Kim expressed satisfaction with the production process that can meet the growing domestic demand for salt.

The KCNA separately said the saltworks has so far produced some 7,000 tons of salt from early March by using a new salt production method.

"There are rich underground ultra-saline water resources of great economic value in the west coastal area of our country," Kim said, adding that the relevant sector should radically boost the production of salt which is essential to people's livelihood and overall economic development. (Yonhap)