DPRK state media reported on March 5 (Monday) that Cabinet Premier and State Affairs Commission Vice Chairman Pak Pong Ju [Pak Pong-chu] visited metal industry sites in North Hamgyo’ng Province. PPJ also toured the Ch’o’ngjin Theater construction site “to discuss the ways of completing the construction at the best level.”
The DPRK Premier visited the Kim Ch’aek Iron and Steel Complex, Musan Mining Complex, Ch’o’ngjin Steel Plant and the Puryong Ferroalloy Factory where workers and officials “are waging a high-pitched drive to increase the production with a single determination to support the Party by producing more iron and steel and concentrated iron ore.” Pak inspected these sites, together with other senior DPRK Cabinet officials, and gave “pep talks to the officials and works taking the lead in making a break through in building a powerful socialist country.”
Consultative meetings were held “on the spot” and “measures were taken to further perfect the Chuch’e-oriented iron- and steel-making technologies and boost the production of iron and solve the problems arising in putting the concentrated iron ore production at the Musan Mining Complex on a normal footing.”