North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accompanied by his younger sister, visited an orphanage in Pyongyang on New Year's Day, calling for special care for orphans, the North's official news agency reported Friday.

Kim "visited the Pyongyang Baby Home and Orphanage on January 1 to give New Year blessings to the children," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, adding that the visit was made right after his national New Year's address. 

The choice of an orphanage as his first public outing of the year is believed to highlight the leader's special attention to public welfare and those who are underprivileged.

In his closely-watched New Year's address, Kim made a reference to his special focus on children by saying that he hopes for a brighter future for the beloved children.

"All the facilities at the Pyongyang Baby Home and Orphanage fully reflect the advantages of the socialist system of the country," Kim was quoted as saying during the visit.  

Kim also directed officials, nurses and teachers there "to successfully bring up the children as their real mothers would do," the KCNA also said.

Notable among the high-ranking officials who accompanied Kim to the orphanages was Kim Yo-jung, the younger sister of the leader. 

Since the North first unveiled the official title of the sister as a vice department director of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee in November, Kim has been often seen accompanying her brother to public appearances. (Yonhap)