Story about the Research Group of the Faculty of Materials Science of KIM IL SUNG University Awarded the February 16 Science and Technology Prize

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said as follows:

“Our Party and people's expectations for KIM IL SUNG University are very high.”

Another excellent scientific and technological achievement has been made at Kim Il Sung University, the supreme temple of Juche-oriented science and education.

It is the development of cutting-edge sealing products in our own style and the establishment of their production process. The localization of high-performance sealing products by the scientists of Ryongnamsan has brought a meaningful step forward in strengthening the independence and Juche character of our economy.

The heroes who realized the localization of cutting-edge sealing products that had been considered impossible until just a few years ago are the scientists headed by PhD and head of the Nano Materials Research Institute of the Faculty of Materials Science of Kim Il Sung University, Comrade Kim Song Mu.

The Party and the state called Comrade Kim Song Mu, an ordinary scientist in his 30s who played a prominent role in producing excellent localization results, as a delegate to the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, appointed him as one of the best scientists and technicians of the state in 2025, and awarded the February 16 Science and Technology Prize to the target project “Establishment of Production Process of Sealing Products Using Nano Composite Materials” carried out under his charge.

The Voice Calling Me

It was in the autumn of 2018 that Comrade Kim Song Mu readily jumped into the unfamiliar research field of localization of sealing products.

Under the guidance of PhD and associate professor Comrade Kim Ryong Jin, director of the Nano Materials Research Institute of the Faculty of Materials Science, he established a practically beneficial method of manufacturing oxide nano materials in our own style, and went down to the Hungnam Fertilizer Complex together with his teacher for its application and introduction. However, their first research results were not welcomed at the site.

At that time, a field technician asked him:

“Can't you produce something like this? It's a high-pressure sealing part for gas compressors, but we lack materials.”

What he showed was a palm-sized component.

It looked insignificant and small, but his words that it depended on import and that its localization would bring great benefits to the country struck them deeply.

As Comrade Kim Song Mu put several worn-out imported products into his bag and returned to Pyongyang, the day when he received a three-room apartment on Ryomyong Street less than half a year after his marriage in April the year before last came to his mind. He also heard the voice of his parents who earnestly asked him over the phone from far away hometown not to forget the benevolence of the country.

“Son, be sure to repay that benevolence!”

The words his teacher used to say in times of emotion also rang in his ears at that moment.

“A person should have conscience and loyalty. Let us repay even a little the love and trust the Party bestows on us scientists.”

(Indeed, I must never turn away!)

At last, he told Comrade Kim Ryong Jin that he would undertake this task. His teacher was also overjoyed and said he would help with all his might.

Thus, Comrade Kim Song Mu, together with Comrade Ri Jun Gi who was then a PhD student, embarked on the pioneering path.

In fact, there is almost no factory or enterprise that does not use compressors. Here, sealing parts of various sizes from small to medium and large ones are a very important factor determining the performance and operation rate of equipment. The same goes for many other machines and equipment such as transformers, rotating machines, pumps and generators, as well as compressors.

In particular, high-pressure sealing products for gas compressors are cutting-edge ones that must withstand high working pressure and temperature, though small in size, and no country ever discloses their material composition and manufacturing technology.

Comrade Kim Song Mu, together with Comrade Ri Jun Gi, tenaciously explored the unknown world. They set the bold and high goal of developing sealing products using nano composite materials. The nano materials permeated with the heart and soul of the research group headed by Comrade Kim Ryong Jin constituted a precious base material.

At last, early in 2020, they made the first trial products with their own hands and went down to Hungnam. But the test results were far too harsh.

Before the third test, they were faced with this question:

This compressor is not for testing but for production. If the compressor stops, gas production decreases by that much, and then fertilizer production decreases by that much. Can you take responsibility for that?

For a moment, they froze. But thinking that if they backed off now, the localization of high-pressure sealing products would be postponed again, and might even remain impossible forever, Comrade Kim Song Mu spoke confidently before the people gathered at the site.

He asked them to trust them.

But the third test also ended in failure. Then some people even said, “Don't come again with such things.”

On the way back, Comrade Ri Jun Gi burst out in anger.

“We are not traveling hundreds of ri because it's our own business... Must we carry on this research work even after hearing such words?”

His feelings were fully understandable. He remembered that Ri Jun Gi had once said that among his classmates who entered the PhD course together, some had already written papers, received degrees and even graduated.

Comrade Kim Song Mu said calmly:

“They must have said that because they were all frustrated. If we can succeed in this, we can benefit the entire industry of the country. Knowing that, how can we back off?”

One late night while preparing for the fourth test, the junior Party secretary of the faculty visited the research site.

“I heard it didn't go well this time either? If it were something that could be easily done, why would the experts in this field not have succeeded until now? Some of the promising young talents of our faculty have stepped forward, so I firmly believe you will surely succeed.”

The trust of the Party official who, before being an official, became a warm-hearted father and looked after and pushed him forward with thoughtful eyes, was so grateful that it brought tears to his eyes. New strength welled up.

Soon after, they went down to the site again for the fourth test. Receiving the astonished looks of some people saying, “You came again?” Comrade Kim Song Mu spoke with an unusually determined voice:

“Please allow us one more test.”

The trial run of the large gas compressor began.

One hour, two hours...

The continuous operation time surpassed the level of imported products. The pressure gauge needle of the compressor was still being maintained within the permissible limit.

At last, when the result came out that the service life of the sealing products they had made was far longer than that of the imported ones, the site erupted with enthusiastic cheers.

“Truly amazing! The young researchers of Kim Il Sung University have done it!”

Everyone congratulated them with eyes brimming with tears. Hot tears streamed down the faces of Comrades Kim Song Mu and Ri Jun Gi as they embraced each other.

Some time later, in October 2021, in the fifth field introduction test carried out amid the great interest and expectation of the Hungnam working class, they at last greeted the joyous moment of succeeding in developing the high-pressure sealing products. It was confirmed that the performance indices such as pressure level and wear resistance were higher than those of imported ones, the service life was more than 1.5 times longer, and the prime cost was far lower.

Having thus opened a breakthrough for the localization of sealing products, they continued to expand the range of introduction into various units with even higher confidence.

Today, under the energetic leadership of the great Party Central Committee, the ever-expanding struggle areas of ours demand a greater scientific power, and are calling for talented people everywhere.

The road of exploration walked by the young talents of Ryongnamsan tells us that only when one becomes a person of conscience who knows how to always sincerely cherish the love and trust of the Party and state that brought him up with great care before being a scientist, and a person of loyalty who always tries hard to repay it, can one hear the call of the homeland, the earnest call of the times and revolution, and can respond with precious fruits.

The Shortcut to Success Opened with One Heart

Among the 9 research members and officials of the Faculty of Materials Science who were awarded the highest science and technology prize of the state this time, except for PhDs and associate professors Comrade Kim Ryong Jin, director of the Nano Materials Research Institute, and Comrade Kim Un Chol, vice dean of the faculty, the remaining 7 are all promising young scientists in their 30s and 20s.

In particular, the PhD students in their 20s including Comrades Choe Hyon Dok, Kim Song Guk and Kim Jong Guk are all able talents who are firmly playing a role in this research project of great national significance.

The PhD students we met told us unforgettable stories of the days when they, led by excellent teachers, took the first step in scientific research work, continued the days and nights of contemplation and exploration together with them, and developed and produced sealing products to be sent to the Ryongsong Machine Complex.

At that time, the task given to the research group was to develop and produce dozens of types and hundreds of sealing products within 6 months. For them, this was an overwhelmingly vast project. It was impossible with the previous methods.

Comrade Kim Un Chol, vice dean of the faculty and an experienced expert in the field of materials, opened the breakthrough first by putting forward an optimization plan for composite material composition that could considerably shorten the development time for each type. The only female researcher of the group, Comrade O Sol Hyang, together with PhD students including Comrade Kim Jong Guk, worked day and night to establish the design method for more than a hundred mold components corresponding to dozens of sealing products. Thus, they completed the mold design in only 10 days.

Comrade Ri Kyong Il, a researcher from the Semiconductor Engineering Research Institute newly involved according to the organizational work of the faculty, opened a firm prospect for raising the quality of sealing products one step higher by succeeding in establishing the synthesis technology of a certain nano material that is becoming a global trend, in our own style.

Scientists and officials of the Advanced Technology Development Institute involved in the cooperative research through the active organizational work of responsible university officials responsibly ensured the vast material analysis and mold fabrication that arose at any time.

The morale of the research group soared day by day.

However, the shortcut to success was never achieved only with knowledge and technology.

One day, Comrade Choe Hyon Dok, who was making the material for a sealing product together with Comrade Ri Jun Gi, made a small mistake in the process design. The cause was that the types and quantities suddenly increased, and he was not yet fully familiar with the manufacturing process.

Comrade Choe Hyon Dok asked Comrade Kim Song Mu, who organized the work to remake the whole batch and stayed up all night with the research members, in an apologetic tone: Isn't it all right to that extent, since it is not well known?

Looking at him for a while, Comrade Kim Song Mu said:

“If we tolerate this small defect today, the quality of sealing products will inevitably drop, and further, the performance of the important equipment the Party values will drop. If people lose trust in science and technology and faith in our own things because of that, what greater crime could there be as a scientist?”

Comrade Kim Song Guk cannot forget what happened when they were manufacturing a large sealing product with a diameter well over 1 meter.

The image of the scientists headed by vice dean Comrade Kim Un Chol, who did not leave the site even while collapsing, insisting on bringing the production deadline forward as much as possible, engraved deeply in his heart what it means to become a patriot before being a scientist.

With such a clear conscience, the research group ensured the production of all the high-quality sealing products by the date pledged before the Party.

One day, upon hearing the news that equipment assembly had started in Ryongsong and trial operations by sectors were underway, and while several research members were preparing to leave, a PhD student asked: Couldn't we rest a little since we have worked without distinction of day and night? And since sealing products are the very last components to be installed, wouldn't it be all right to go then?

Comrade Kim Song Mu said:

“This is the project the Party values most at present. How can we sit comfortably here and go out only if a problem arises? Isn't it the attitude of a developer and producer to stay on the site and take responsibility until the end?”

In the miraculous achievements of Ryongsong that further boosted our people's confidence in their own strength and scientific and technological capability and dealt a blow to defeatism and technology mysticism, are thus preciously embedded the excellent localization results of the scientists of Ryongnamsan.

The PhD students who learned the attitude of a true scientific warrior who thinks of the Party and revolution first before knowledge and technology, and the fervent spirit and disposition of inquiry during these rewarding days, have grown into solid pillars of the research group. Together with scientists including Comrades Kim Song Mu and Ri Jun Gi, they are playing a firm role in developing and producing hundreds of sealing products constantly raised in various sectors.

The state generously invested precious funds and gave them wings to leap higher. Under the active guidance and assistance of the faculty and responsible university officials, the Faculty of Materials Science is now fully equipped with dozens of experimental and production facilities provided by the Party, and an excellent cutting-edge product production base has been established where they can develop various nano composite materials and produce products as they wish.

Among the scientists who were awarded the February 16 Science and Technology Prize this time are also Comrade Kim Yong Min, head of the laboratory, and Comrade Kim Kwang Hyok, researcher of the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering of Han Tok Su Pyongyang University of Light Industry.

In September 2024, the research group of the Faculty of Materials Science of Kim Il Sung University was given a task to urgently develop a new sealing product that was urgently needed in reality.

However, this sealing product had a completely different base material from the previous one. The problem was that they hardly had any knowledge of this base material. Comrade Kim Song Mu's thought deepened.

(Of course, our entire research group will develop it someday if we stick together. But who will take responsibility for the loss the country will suffer while we grasp and research the new base material? Cooperating with the experts in this field is the fastest shortcut.)

He had never felt so keenly the justness of the Party's policy to strengthen cooperation among scientific research units as at that time.

His determination received the active support of the faculty officials and the university.

When the head of the laboratory of Kim Il Sung University, whom they had only met once or twice at the site before, came unexpectedly and proposed joint research, Comrades Kim Yong Min and Kim Kwang Hyok could not help but be surprised.

“Let us unite our hearts and technology and become one!”

The sincerity of Comrade Kim Song Mu, who was younger and smaller in stature than him, touched Comrade Kim Yong Min's heart deeply.

Their joint research aimed at a single goal brought another fruitful result—the localization of a new sealing product urgently required in reality—in less than half a year. Having confirmed the technical and economic effectiveness by introducing the product on a trial basis in several units, they are now speeding up preparations to expand the introduction of the localized sealing products in production units.

The powerful joint research group of the two universities, united in will, wisdom and passion on the path of scientific exploration for the Party and the homeland, is now continuously advancing the day of success in developing new types of cutting-edge sealing products and important machine components including friction plates for agricultural machinery at an advanced level.

* * *

When Comrade Kim Song Mu had the great honour of receiving a certificate of commendation from the respected General Secretary at the Party Central Committee building last April, and when over ten research members and officials of the Faculty of Materials Science of Kim Il Sung University who contributed to the localization of sealing products for compressors received high state commendation on the same day, people sent them sincere congratulations.

The ideals and aspirations of our heroes have grown higher, and their confidence and courage are soaring.

When everyone responds to the call of the times and revolution with fruitful successes of science and technology like them, the beautiful and bright future of our beloved country and our homeland will be advanced even more.

Text and photos: Staff Reporter Ryo Myong Hui

 

 

Head of Laboratory Comrade Kim Song Mu

Director Comrade Kim Ryong Jin

Vice Dean Comrade Kim Un Chol

Researcher Comrade Ri Jun Gi

Researcher Comrade O Sol Hyang

PhD Student Comrade Kim Song Guk

PhD Student Comrade Choe Hyon Dok

PhD Student Comrade Kim Jong Guk

Researcher Comrade Ri Kyong Il

Head of Laboratory Comrade Kim Yong Min of Han Tok Su Pyongyang University of Light Industry

Researcher Comrade Kim Kwang Hyok of Han Tok Su Pyongyang University of Light Industry