Kim Jong Un visits fish pickling plant in short sleeves

SEOUL, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- As a record heat wave swept across the Korean peninsula, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been seen in white short sleeves and a fedora hat during his visit to a local fish pickling plant.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Wednesday Kim inspected the factory and was briefed about the production of pickled fish products.

During the visit, Kim was spotted in an unusually lighter outfit.

He usually wears his signature formal Mao-style suit on official occasions, including the June 12 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore. But as the scorching heat grips the nation, he chose to wear shirt sleeves and light gray trousers for the tour.

The trip follows a recent inspection at a local catfish farm and a string of inspection tours to manufacturing factories.

Kim said the factory "did a lot of work" when he was told it made 30 pickled fish products with different levels of saltiness and spiciness while using a variety of seafood, including shrimp, eel, anchovy and shellfish.

KCNA media reports on Kim's inspection tours often emphasize accomplishments factories make, as a sign for the country's strong performance in the domestic economy.

In fact, North Korea's economy shrank by 3.5 percent last year amid tightening international sanctions, according to the Bank of Korea.

Kim's recent visits to local farms and factories have been seen as a push to boost its faltering economy.