Shortly ago, a staff reporter interviewed Kim Jong Hak, a department director of the Ministry of Regional Industry of the DPRK about the regional-industry revolution being powerfully promoted.

Reporter: The first transformational entities of the regional development policy in the new era have sprung up in different parts of the country, to the delight of the people, haven’t they?

Director: Right. It is the plan of our Party for regional development to make the regional people enjoy the good material life just like the citizens of the capital city and live without any worries and in good health in the same cultural and hygienic environment as the capital city.

As the first result of the implementation of the regional development policy adopted last year, modern industrial establishments were wonderfully built in 20 cities and counties including Songchon, Sukchon and Kim Hyong Jik counties and Kusong City, and they are now in normal operation.

Better still, the Sinpho City Offshore Farm built as a model for coastal cities and counties proves its worth.

Reporter: I think the show of goods produced at the regional-industry factories held in April in the capital city of Pyongyang served as a good opportunity to showcase the validity and vitality of the regional development policy.

Director: The show brought together hundreds of kinds of goods in more than 20 categories including processed marine products, laundry soap, plastic necessities, furniture and clothes, as well as wheat-based condiments and confectionery produced at the regional-industry factories in the 20 cities and counties.

Many of the visitors to the event spared no praise for the goods, saying that they are good enough to be sold even in the commercial outlets in the capital city.

Typically, the chestnut jam layer biscuit and chestnut jelly and jam from Songchon County of South Phyongan Province, the bar rice cake from Jaeryong County of South Hwanghae Province, processed marine products from Kyongsong County of North Hamgyong Province and pieces of furniture from Usi County of Jagang Province were highly rated as they retain regional features well.

The show served as an occasion for steadily improving the quality of goods with the people’s demands as the absolute standard in assessment and vigorously promoting the qualitative development of regional industry by establishing a climate of competition in all regions while sharing and generalizing advanced techniques and experience.

Reporter: I have heard that the regional development is gaining momentum with the extensive construction of regional-industry factories in another 20 cities and counties.

Director: True. Our Party and state are making endeavours to rapidly develop the regions, though they are not in a position to make additional efforts. They are doing this to steadily better the livelihood of the regional people who make up the overwhelming majority of the entire population of the country.

At present the agricultural sector has entered the stage assured enough to maintain high and stable grain yield, bringing earlier the future when our countryside will prosper. The annual construction of modern industrial establishments in a group of 20 cities and counties makes the regional people happy and optimistic.

On the other hand, a special measure was taken at the Eleventh Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea held in December last year to include the construction of advanced healthcare facilities, leisure complexes and grain storage stations in the new regional development policy. According to this measure, relevant construction projects are underway in different counties.

I’m sure that a new era of regional transformation will arrive before long as we have the WPK’s guidance and the people in support of it.

Reporter: Thank you

Ham Kwang Hyok