Comrades,

I express gratitude to the workers of Ryongsong, teachers and researchers from Kim Chaek University of Technology and Pyongyang University of Mechanical Engineering, officials and builders in South Hamgyong Province and officials of the relevant sectors, who have attained in the lead-up to the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea this success of great significance in making our national economy self-supporting.

Through the first-stage modernization, the Ryongsong Machine Complex, the parent enterprise of the country’s machine-building industry, has raised its technical capability to a considerable height.

This means offering us a possibility of further consolidating the self-sufficiency of the national economy, promoting the development of the overall economic sectors and further developing their potentials.

Today the qualitative transformation of the machine-building industry, a basis for the development of the economy and progress of technology, has posed as a more urgent task. The remarkable trend of development and change, which the Ryongsong Machine Complex with the longest history and tradition started for its technological transformation aspiring after the modernization of the machine-building sector, can be called a stride ahead that instils confidence and encouragement in all of us including the relevant sectors.

But what I regard as a greater success is the following fact.

It is not merely that an enterprise has been modernized, but in the course of this, we have become better aware of our officials’ approach to the Party’s decisions and their present preparedness, and dealt a telling blow to the deeply-ingrained sense of irresponsibility and self-protectionism that hinder our advance and development.

This has reaffirmed which we should focus on and how we should solve them for our present and future work, and as such it is a success more meaningful than any economic achievements.

The first-stage technological transformation of the Ryongsong Machine Complex was a core policy-oriented project for the eighth term of the Party Central Committee, whose plan was deliberated and approved at the Ninth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Party and which was pushed ahead through expenditure of a relevant budget.

Our Party recognized technologically transforming first the complex in a standard way as a key link in the whole chain of efforts for the immediate rehabilitation of the machine-building industry, for the feasible reinforcement of its infrastructure and for its prospective development, and viewed it as a very important issue that would have a great impact on the overall national economy.

Accordingly, an in-depth study and preparations were made for several years, and a team that would command the project was formed by involving the Cabinet and the officials and experts authoritative in the relevant sectors.

However, the project made a wrong start.

Completely owing to the irresponsible, slipshod and incompetent leading officials, the project encountered difficulties and incurred not a little amount of economic loss, experiencing unnecessary man-made confusions.

Contrary to the true intention of the Party’s decision to turn this enterprise into a model of modernization in the new era, the technical assignments were prepared without a detailed study; and its examination and deliberation by the state was not conducted properly, resulting in the formulation of an absurd plan for modernization of the overall production lines.

Worse still, the production equipment were distributed in an unreasonable way during the project in disregard of the technical assignments, a legal document, but it was neglected. The consequence was that the project completely got off its original track.

As the modernization project, which it regarded as a most important part of its policy, was being conducted haphazardly as an eyewash, the Party Central Committee enlisted a team of experts in modernization in the munitions industry, and saw to it that it made a comprehensive examination of the state of affairs.

The result was just as it had felt uneasy.

A plan for setting up an integrated production system essential to modernizing the production lines could not be found, some production lines could not be put on an automated footing, and over 60 other problems to be resolved were found in the technical assignments.

From these few facts, we can easily guess what the plan was like for the modernization project supervised by the relevant cadres of the Cabinet, who had lost their orientation.

I think this is a concentrated expression of the Cabinet’s inveterate way of work and a flagrant example of the actual conditions of the economic guidance officials, unfaithful to their own duties and incompetent.

What they did was clearly not an act that can be done by those who implement the Party’s policies.

The senior officials of the Cabinet had been criticized for failing to formulating a proper plan for the project, but they never felt repentant: there is under them a non-permanent group specializing in examining the technical assignments for national-level modernization project; nevertheless, they committed a contemptible act aimed at shirking their responsibility–handing over again to the munitions industry sector the modernization plan reformulated after receiving the opinions of the leading officials in that sector, and asking for examination and approval.

In other words, it was a typical cunning act of sparing themselves to make it clear beforehand that, if anything had gone wrong again during the project, they had done it according to the approved plan and so they were not responsible for it.

Because of these, the project went through an abnormal course of covering a prolonged precious period that had to be as short as possible while wasting large amounts of labour and funds, and this made the munitions industry sector, which was carrying out important assignments, bear a heavier burden.

Even before the modernization project of the Ryongsong Machine Complex got started, we stressed the need to adopt not a short-sighted approach but a scientific, prospective one in drawing up its plan, while calling attention to the irresponsible and slovenly manner of work which is an inveterate malice with the economic guidance officials.

We showed them modern munitions factories and even advanced foreign production facilities to help them adopt a clear idea and a broad view about modernization, and took Party and state measures as well to give solid support to the project.

Nevertheless, the then premier of the Cabinet and the current vice-premier in charge of the machine-building industry worked in a slipshod way.

The vice-premier, speaking at the 13th Party Plenary Meeting in December last year, began his speech by feigning to be criticizing himself for his staff’s mistake in pushing ahead with the project, and then, by way of an excuse, asked to set up a deliberation system good enough to enlist organs under his authority, which was a job he could identify if he was willing to, something he ought to have done. This was obviously an ill-advised remark, intended to trifle with the Party Central Committee.

At the time I criticized him severely for his mocking approach towards the Party plenary meeting, and later watched him.

To my surprise, watching how he was behaving himself later, I found him unaware of his responsibility at all.

What would such persons be left with, who are bereft of the qualifications and abilities which are due for them and have forsaken even their conscience and a basic sense of responsibility?

Could we still expect anything from them, who are almost good for nothing even if they are around us, those whose places would hardly be found vacant even if they are not in their places?

Such officials cannot deal with such a simple mission as can be accomplished without difficulty once they are willing to properly exercise the authority entrusted to them, as it is far from anything that needs braving a shower of bullets or starting from scratch. There is no reason why we should leave them in the important office of guiding the national economy. This is the conclusion we have reached.

Some people are skeptical of the Party’s policies as they shrink from the prevailing obstacles; they are unable to notice the changing ethos around them as they are steeped in self-protectionism; they can hardly keep in step with us as they are moving as slowly as to hamper our advance. I am sure it will be very disadvantageous for us to keep them in their position for the sake of their honour.

The modernization project of this single enterprise has starkly revealed the work system of the former Cabinet and the qualifications, abilities and approach of the leading officials.

Additionally, as we have already made a review, we can easily identify the lack of responsibility of the then premier and his Cabinet from the cases that occurred at the Namhung Youth Chemical Complex and the Hungnam Fertilizer Complex.

The vice-premier of the Cabinet, in charge of the machine-building industry, does not fit for his position, in particular.

We do not think he has stood against the Party, though.

He is ineligible for an important duty as he is originally of such a character and of such a type.

To speak figuratively in simpler words, he was like a goat yoked to pull an ox cart. We should see this as an incidental mistake in our practice of personnel appointment.

Could we expect a goat to pull a cart for an ox?

There is a serious problem also with the present system of appointing cadres.

Now, there occur many problems in the ranks of administrative cadres as the system of screening the qualifications for their eligibility and ratifying them is not correctly applied, and instead they are recommended by a mere perusal of their careers.

I will not refer to the matter of personnel administration any longer here.

I advise you, Comrade Premier, to appoint another person in place of this vice-premier when organizing a new government.

Please, Comrade Vice-Premier, resign by yourself when you can do it on your own before it is too late.

Here today, you are dismissed, Comrade Vice-Premier, I declare.

As I have already criticized, not only the former premier but also the senior officials in charge of policy-oriented guidance, who have neglected their duty in modernizing the Ryongsong Machine Complex, merely playing the role of an onlooker, must feel a guilty conscience.

Of course, today’s achievement of having transformed the complex, a large-scale machine-building base, shows that the project has achieved an advance and modernization greater than the previous ones, so it is good enough to give wide publicity to the complex at home and abroad.

However, the substantial success we gained in the course of the first-stage modernization project of the complex is that our Party has made a clear conclusion that the present economic guidance forces including the former premier and the current vice-premier can hardly guide the work of readjusting the country’s industry as a whole and upgrading it technologically; the Party has come to make a clear-cut determination.

Comrades,

Today we have analyzed from an anatomical point of view the deviations revealed in the course of upgrading and newly building the infrastructure of the machine-building industry in the new era. This is indispensible and beneficial for us, and its significance is by no means minor.

Now we are faced with a responsible period when our officials should bring about the transformation of our country with a more matured way of thinking and practising and realize our far-reaching ideals with transformation getting greater year after year.

Do keep it in mind, all of you.

Breaking with old practices of pinning hope on those who have too long been accustomed to defeatism, irresponsibility and passiveness, means a new start for the future pioneering and development.

We should decisively ferret out the extreme practices of irresponsibility, self-protectionism and indolence deeply-rooted among the officials and, to this end, give precedence to their ideological transformation.

Giving an impression that they are safeguarding the Party’s policies and devoting themselves to implementing its decisions but actually caring for only their comfort and self-protection and failing to get rid of escapism and short-sighted view–these should be defined as the targets of ideological education and ideological offensive.

In addition, we should take substantial measures to ensure that members of the Party central leadership and senior officials of the relevant sectors and units steadily study the global trend of development and proactively acquire scientific and technological knowledge.

Even the officials who should lead reconstruction of the economy neglect principles and digits and have neither aspirations for nor a concept of modernization. Only when we put an end to this heartbreaking reality, can we fully implement the challenging and huge economic tasks facing us and thus achieve due innovation and progress.

Recently we have established a sci-tech study system, as well as a new system of studying latest science and technology while working, for the officials; what is important is to make these systems become a course for them to improve their qualifications and abilities to keep abreast of the trend of the times towards modernization and development and to apply them in their sectors and units.

We should adopt the experience and lessons from the transformation of the Ryongsong Machine Complex for a precious springboard for making fresh changes and dramatic leaps forward in the national economy as a whole.

Modernization of the complex is a primary process in creating a model and standard for the machine-building industry in the new era, promoting the development of our state’s overall industry, and thus dynamically pushing ahead with socialist construction.

Only when the complex rises up, can other machine-building factories rise up; and only when the machine-building industry of the country makes progress, can the whole of our state’s economy make progress.

The Party has already advanced a clear roadmap indicating the order of gigantic modernization projects for machine-building factories, and taken important practical measures for the second-stage modernization project of the Ryongsong Machine Complex.

At this inauguration ceremony, a clear warning has been given again.

All the officials of the Cabinet and economic sectors, as well as those in the economic policy-oriented guidance sector, should, with a fresh determination and willingness, substantially accelerate the modernization of the machine-building industry aimed at promoting the development of different sectors of the national economy.

We should draw up one scientific plan after another to put not only the machine-building industry but metallurgical, power, coal-mining and other key industries on an advanced footing and carry them out with persevering efforts, thus renovating the overall economy of the country.

Here I clearly stress once again. What is most important in the overall development of socialism we aspire after is to prepare persons, and what is first and foremost here is to build up the ranks of our leading officials with faithful and qualified revolutionary talents.

There is nothing impossible for the officials, who, always mindful of their heavy duty to the Party and the country, learn, think and make efforts to be unconditionally faithful to the duty.

Based on purposeful designs and scientific methodology, we, in our generation, must fully eliminate the centuries-old backwardness of the economy and build a modernized and advanced one capable of firmly guaranteeing the future of our state.

Trustworthy workers of Ryongsong and officials in the field of the machine-building industry,

Comrades,

The present reality of our country advancing forward towards prosperity urgently demands powerful pioneers, genuine fighters, who can be accountable to today and bring the future earlier.

Let us rise up more vigorously in the gigantic revolutionary work to inject vitality in the self-sufficiency and development of our economy with renewed determination, vision and enthusiasm.

I hope that our leading cadres and all the producer masses will avail themselves of this opportunity to keep in mind again the essence and demands of the Party’s policy on modernization.

In conclusion, I extend my thanks and encouragement once again to all of you and other workers of the Ryongsong Machine Complex and scientists and technicians, who have made devoted efforts for this first-stage modernization project.