A bird’s eye view of the reclaimed section of Ryongmaedo tideland.

A remarkable change brought about in the appearance of the country in the past decade is that its land has been enlarged.

The Korean people reclaimed the vast stretches of tidal flats that had remained idle for ages in North Phyongan and South Hwanghae provinces to expand farmland by building dykes across the rough West Sea of Korea.

More than 13 000 hectares of new land appeared in the places where there was the sea with the completion of the large-scale Honggondo tideland reclamation project stretching from Ansan-ri of Tongnim County to Sinmi Island of Sonchon County in North Phyongan Province, which was unprecedented in the history of tideland reclamation, and the Ryongmaedo tideland reclamation project from Sinsaeng-ri to Sinphung-ri of Chongdan County in South Hwanghae Province. Broad ring roads were built along the solidly-built embankments extending far and a boundless expanse of cropland and breeding grounds for seafood and seaweed were built in an orderly manner.

A waterway project, which has been the largest so far in the gravity-fed irrigation network of the country, was also completed in South Hwanghae Province.

With the completion of the very long waterway threading through mountains and fields in the section between Pongchon and Chongdan counties and Ryongmae Island in the province and a large artificial lake, it has become able to sufficiently irrigate tens of thousands of hectares of farmland and Ryongmaedo tideland while saving much electricity and pumping equipment, produce high and safe yields by preventing damage from drought and flood, develop fish farming and provide the people with pleasant cultural recreation.

The capital city of Pyongyang witnessed the mushrooming of beautiful, distinctive streets, industrial establishments for improving the people’s livelihood, modern medical service bases and cultural recreation areas.

Local areas also underwent a sea change, including Rason City at the northern tip of the country and the provinces, cities and counties on the west coast and in the central inland and eastern regions.

The Paektusan Hero Youth Power Station rose up, the City of Samjiyon in Ryanggang Province unfolded a superb view leaving no trace of the past, a wonderful hot spring resort came into being in Yangdok where hot spring water had flowed idly since time immemorial and a holiday camp appeared for scientists and technicians on the picturesque shore of Lake Yonphung. A large-scale vegetable greenhouse farm was built to supply various kinds of vegetables to people in a northern area all season and the Koam-Tapchon railway was constructed over the waters of the East Sea of Korea, like a double rainbow, as the first marine railway of the country. And new modern villages sprang up in different areas which were heavily hit by flood and typhoon in recent years.

An amazing transformation also took place in mountains, fields and seas of the country.

The DPRK undergoes changes with each passing day in the face of all hardships and trials to realize all dreams and ideals of the people.