The Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea held last February set it as an important task to qualitatively consolidate the foundations for the production of the key industries to powerfully guarantee the growth of the overall economy during the period of the new five-year plan.

It is the firm will of the Party to more dynamically open up a broad vista for comprehensive national rejuvenation by further increasing the potentials for development of the metallurgical, chemical, electric power, coal and machine-building industries, the cornerstone of the self-supporting economy.

Over the past five years, every economic sector has built up its capacity, the overall national economy has successfully maintained a stable and sustained momentum of growth, and new records have been created in various aspects of state affairs.

The 10 000-flat construction project was carried out in Pyongyang every year with the result that new streets were built one after another. Meanwhile, modern rural houses went up in different parts of the country and industrial establishments mushroomed to improve the living standards of the local people amid the effective implementation of the Regional Development 20×10 Policy.

Such achievements are inconceivable apart from the strengthened production foundations of key industries. The Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex and the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex more than doubled their pig iron production capacities as compared with 2020, and the Namhung Youth Chemical Complex and the Hungnam Fertilizer Complex increased the output of nitrogenous fertilizer by hundreds of thousands of ton.

Now the key industries are out to fulfill their responsibility and role in carrying out the tasks for the sustainable development of the national economy in the period of the new five-year plan set forth by the Ninth Congress of the Party, including the steady implementation of the programme for the rural revolution in the new era and the new regional development policy, the rapid enhancement of agricultural productivity and the capital city construction.

The Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex is boosting the output by raising the operation rate of the energy-saving oxygen blast furnace, and the Namhung Youth Chemical Complex is ensuring the safety of the overall system and the continuity of production at a high level.

Factories and enterprises in the electric power, coal and machine-building industries are bringing about an upsurge in production by giving priority to technical innovations.

Jo Son Hyok