Writing Glorious Feats in the Rural Construction Front at the Foot of Mt. Paektu

The Struggle of Commanders and Members of the South Hamgyong Provincial Party Members' Brigade Dispatched to Ryanggang Province

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said as follows:

"Party members across the Party must play a core, vanguard role in the struggle to carry out the tasks set forth by the Party Congress."

Commanders and members of the elite party members' brigades from the center and local areas, who rushed to the rural construction front at the foot of Mt. Paektu, the sacred place of the revolution, upholding the great Party Central Committee's call, are fiercely igniting the flames of creating new standards and new records at every construction site. Among these reliable ranks are also the commanders and members of the South Hamgyong Provincial Party Members' Brigade tasked with the construction of rural housing in Phungso County.

Having stepped forward for the recovery from damage in Ryanggang Province last year and built housing for dozens of low-income families, they are now creating new feats day by day in their assigned rural housing construction with the same momentum.

It was late November last year. The hearts of the brigade commanders drawing up the construction schedule for the period ahead were somewhat tense.

This was because a sudden flood had hit Ryanggang Province during the rural housing construction, causing much damage, and its recovery made the overall construction period紧迫 (pressing).

The Sang-ri Village developed by the brigade was a high mountainous area measuring almost 1,000 meters above sea level. Moreover, there was no source of aggregate in the stream flowing through the narrow valley. Just when everyone was anxious that the construction could not be pushed ahead quickly, Brigade Commander Son Kyong Ju came forward before the members.

"Ours is a brigade that has always flown the red flag at the forefront. Can we, who rushed out with the resolution to prepare another turning point to be specially recorded in the history of our Party's rural construction, waver before such difficulties? There can absolutely be no impossibility before our party members."

His call was met with response from commanders and members.

A struggle to guarantee the construction period unfolded.

The key here was the advance preparation of construction materials, including logs, cement, and steel materials.

One day, while work to secure construction materials was underway without distinction between day and night, a large truck dashing up to a timber station far from Sang-ri to transport logs suddenly began to struggle.

At that moment, there were people who unhesitatingly put their shoulders to the spinning wheels. They were the members of the brigade.

Amidst the "Heave-ho! Heave-ho!" shouts shaking the forest, the heavy large truck inched forward up the slope.

The burning loyalty and patriotism of the true party members, who cherish the Party Central's sky-high trust as their life and devote their souls to the rural housing construction in Ryanggang Province, were this hot and passionate.

One day last winter, when a raft of logs produced at the timber station was being brought down, a sudden strong wind caused the raft to break apart.

At that moment, with the 1st Company Commander taking the lead followed by company members, work to retrieve the logs drifting into the lake growing dark began. The hearts of the company members raced with the spirit to retrieve the logs even at the risk of their own lives. But then, the boat crane retrieving the floating logs unexpectedly stopped. If the numerous floating logs were to freeze in the intense cold, the construction preparations would be delayed, and thus the construction period could not be guaranteed.

A nasty north wind blew, and soon the surface of the lake began to freeze with a clinking sound. At that time, Squad Leader Choe Chol Gyu was the first to jump into the water. This in itself was a silent command of "Follow me forward!" Following him, members vied to jump into the cold water.

How many times did they fasten ropes to the logs and pull them to shore...

What indeed gave rise to such an unyielding will?

We find the answer in a story written in the notebook by Han Kang Chol, a brigade staff member, with his frostbitten hand.

...At that time, someone began to sing, imbued with the heartfelt yearning for the respected Marshal cherished in the heart of every party member.

Thinking of the Marshal who travels far even on this long night
Our hearts fervently, earnestly follow...

...The song soon spread into a chorus, and the spirit of the company members rescuing the logs from the icy water heightened further....

The single-minded resolve to repay with loyalty the noble trust of the Party Central, which called upon party members for nothing less than the sacred struggle to splendidly transform the land of Paektu into an ideal land of socialist civilization, was fiercely burning in each of their hearts.

Before the harsh winter had even fully passed, the brigade entered block production in full force. Warming shelters were set up, and inside them, dubbed the "arsenal" by the members here, block pressing and production of various construction materials proceeded vigorously.

The brigade members boldly commenced foundation work even before the ground had fully thawed. During excavation, water unexpectedly gushed from the ground, turning the site into a muddy field in an instant, making it impossible to operate hydraulic loaders and other heavy machinery at will. Nevertheless, they continued the foundation work without a moment's interruption, bailing water with pumps on one side and proceeding with concrete pouring on the other.

Members of the mobile art agitation team and medical workers from Riwon County who were on site also rushed over, grabbed shovels and pickaxes, and joined the construction.

Amidst such collective innovation, the brigade successfully completed the framework construction for several low-income housing units ahead of schedule and also finished several hundred meters of river embankment work and thousands of cubic meters of excavation in just ten days.

For these people, who never forgot for a moment the Party Central's great trust, there was absolutely no distinction between today and tomorrow.

Not long ago, at the housing construction site assigned to Phungso County, plastering manpower was insufficient, hindering smooth progress.

Although they learned of this fact, the commanders here could not readily make a decision. The members, whose eyes were bloodshot and lips chapped from pushing ahead with their assigned housing construction, forgetting sleep, were already in such a state. While the commanders hesitated, the members came to them.

Before those who stepped forward to help with the housing construction in Phungso County, the commanders could say no more. These were the same people who, last year, had unhesitatingly jumped into the raging waters to divert the flow, protecting the precious lives and property of the people with their own lives.

From that time on, an additional burden was placed upon them. The commanders and members of the party members' brigade here, disregarding their bodies tired from the day's work, would set out without hesitation even in the middle of the night whenever manpower was short at the Phungso County housing construction site, and return to the brigade at dawn to focus on their own work. Drivers who transported materials to help with the Phungso County housing construction, traveling long distances several times a day until their wheels nearly caught fire, again took to the road without a moment's rest. It was several times more arduous. Yet, not one of them complained of hardship.

And that's not all. The fact that they sent sand first to a branch school construction site in a mountain village despite the紧张 (tightness) of aggregate, and the story of equipping a farm village with high-performance modern TV relay equipment in time so that the Party's voice could be better heard in every household are such examples. But how touching are their deeds of starting the day's work with the maintenance of the vicinity of the iconic works of the Great Leader and the Great General installed in the Sang-ri area and meticulously transplanting many trees of good species?

Because they are party members who live with such burning hearts, there could be no impossibility for them.

Now, the brigade, following the rural housing framework construction, is pushing ahead with plastering work in a model way and dashing forward to meet the moment of completion. Since driving the first shovel into the ground this year, in just a few months, the modern rural houses seen in the architectural plans are clearly revealing their appearance as a reality before their eyes.

Let us uphold the honor of the elite party members' brigade.

Precisely in these words is embedded the unpretentious patriotic heart and sincerity of the commanders and members here who strive to splendidly erect the rural houses with the best quality standards.

The commanders and members of the South Hamgyong Provincial Party Members' Brigade are keeping their pledge made before the Party with the conscience and practice of a Korean Workers' Party member.

Upheld by their fiery loyalty and passion, a new transformation where another revolutionary entity of rural civilization will stand proudly in Sang-ri Village will unfold gloriously in the near future.

Text and Photo by Correspondent Chon Chol Ju

---

News from Correspondents

Further Strengthening the Foundation of Construction Units

In North Hamgyong Province

North Hamgyong Province continues to devote great efforts to strengthening the foundation of construction units, including the Provincial Construction Mechanization Brigade.

Since the beginning of this year alone, it has provided dozens of construction equipment and thousands of technical tools to construction units and also created conditions to solidly build up the rear base.

The Provincial Party Committee concretized the division of tasks among provincial executive committee members to strengthen construction units, and then took active measures to replenish labor force, secure equipment and technical tools, and properly equip the rear base. Particularly, the province pushed ahead in a planned manner with the work of providing heavy machinery.

In May alone, it sent many heavy machines, including excavators, hydraulic loaders, and large trucks, to construction units, enabling them to further raise the level of construction equipment.

The province also meaningfully organized exhibitions of construction equipment and technical tools, allowing construction units to share and generalize experiences gained in the process of creating and introducing technical tools.

The province is also paying deep attention to strengthening the ranks of skilled workers in construction units.

It is selecting and assigning discharged soldiers and people with much construction experience to construction units, while ensuring these units establish orderly their own systems for training skilled workers.

Correspondent Chon Hyok Chol

Deepening Discussion for Qualitatively Conducting River Improvement

-At Taeyudong Mine-

Photo by Correspondent Kim Myong Hun

Equipment Assembly Plant inaugurated

In Nampo City

Nampo City has achieved success by reflecting the Party decision on the construction of an equipment assembly plant and pushing it forward powerfully.

The City Party Committee, bearing in mind the importance of the equipment assembly plant construction in carrying out the Party's local development policy, unfolded this work on a large scale.

The workload was vast, as it involved conducting construction of several production buildings, office structures, and welfare facilities, and establishing production processes. However, the city, while rationally organizing labor and increasing the proportion of mechanization in work, fiercely ignited the flames of the ideological campaign and the campaign to defend Party policy on the construction site.

The officials and builders participating in the construction displayed a high sense of responsibility in fulfilling their assigned tasks.

The construction units strengthened their skilled workforce, ensured the advance provision of materials, and seamlessly dovetailed processes, qualitatively completing the arising work tasks.

In step with the vigorous advancement of the construction, the city also comprehensively pushed forward the work of reliably training the masters who would run the equipment assembly plant. It solidified the ranks of technicians and skilled workers, entrusted them with equipment assembly tasks, and made them proficient with the equipment in the process.

As a result, the construction was successfully concluded and the material and technical foundation of the equipment assembly plant was further solidified.

The newly inaugurated equipment assembly plant is now pushing to finalize the production of dozens of types of equipment.

Correspondent Chon Song Sam

---

Focusing Efforts on Raising Productivity of Raw Material Bases for Local Industry Factories

In North Hwanghae Province

Upholding the Party's local industry development policy, North Hwanghae Province is focusing efforts on raising the per-hectare yield of raw material bases.

The Provincial Party Committee has set the self-sufficiency of local industrial raw materials as an important goal and is intensifying policy guidance to ensure cities and counties powerfully push forward farming at raw material bases and the creation of economic forests.

Officials are going to their assigned units, arousing the masses to the increased production struggle through effective political work, and promptly solving problems arising in crop cultivation and raw material forest management.

In Unpha County and Yontan County, they are increasing the cultivation area of sweet potatoes and sugar cane and meticulously managing fertilization and irrigation to raise the per-hectare output of Party crops and smoothly supply raw materials to food factories.

To prepare for the production of newly built local industry factories, Kosan County and Hwangju County have created raw material bases by finding places with favorable cultivation conditions, provided farm machines including tractors, and raised the proportion of mechanization in farming work.

The sea buckthorn forest enterprises in Sariwon City and Suan County are focusing on strengthening the material and technical foundation, normally organizing demonstrations and technical studies to increase the survival rate of planted trees under the plan to increase oil fruit production, while managing nurseries and improving soil fertility.

Employees of raw material base enterprises in Songrim City, Kumchon County, and Thosan County are constantly mastering advanced farming methods and cultivation techniques through agricultural science and technology study and production practice, and putting effort into industrial crop farming.

In Sobong County, Sangwon County, Yonsan County and others, they are also reasonably arranging labor, conducting all farming work scientifically and technologically, and preparing good crop conditions based on specifically mastering the growth state of crops, including sunflowers, perilla, and mint, by variety and by field.

[Korean Central News Agency]

---

Let Us Responsibly Conduct Crop Management Against Unfavorable Weather Conditions

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said as follows:

"In our country with limited arable land area, the fundamental key to increasing agricultural production lies in farming scientifically and technologically according to the demands of the Party's agricultural policy and Juche farming methods, and maximizing the per-hectare yield."

Officials and workers in the agricultural sector are putting great effort into crop management with the enthusiasm to surely achieve this year's grain production goal.

Until quite recently, heavy rain accompanied by downpours fell.

It is forecast that unfavorable weather conditions, such as intermittent rain and cloudy weather, will continue henceforth.

The reality demands that officials and workers in the agricultural sector remain highly vigilant and responsibly conduct crop management to the very end. Otherwise, crop growth will be hindered, the weight of a thousand grains will decrease, and furthermore, negative consequences will affect this year's farming.

Under conditions like now, to maximize grain output, the problems that arise are not few. The results of farming depend on each and every agricultural technical measure that provides answers.

Officials must become practitioners who accept the most rational management methods suited to the actual conditions under scientific insight and push all work forward tenaciously.

Just as a doctor can prescribe wisely only after accurately diagnosing a person's illness, so too must officials, based on concretely grasping the weather and climate conditions of their region and unit and the growth state of crops, establish timely measures for scientifically and technologically conducting management to maximize the per-hectare yield.

Officials must always be aware of their position and duty and run and run again to raise the level of scientific management.

At the present point, it is necessary to continue establishing agricultural technical measures, including enhancing the photosynthetic capacity and disease resistance of crops and promoting grain filling.

While also paying deep attention to producing and utilizing nutrient solution on one's own, ways to maximize the per-hectare yield before harvest must be sought out and practiced in every way. It is important to accurately determine the timing and amount of foliar fertilizer application and pesticide spraying, set concrete plans, and carry them out without fail. Particularly, officials must actively guide farming by stepping into every corner of the fields and devising scientific measures to solve arising problems.

Looking at the experience of units that achieved high yields in the past period:

The officials of these units, based on accurately grasping the actual situation, knew well and thoroughly devised appropriate countermeasures regarding what kind of nutrient solution to apply, when and how much, even for a single foliar application, what methods to adopt for paddy water management, what potential disease damage might occur in the future and ways to overcome it, etc.

Agricultural workers must also be mindful of how important every moment and every second is in capturing this year's grain heights and make exertions.

Whether sitting or walking the paths between fields, they must think like masters, grasp practical ways to improve crop growth under unfavorable weather conditions, and carry out farm work. Only to the practical farmer who actively accepts scientific management methods and strives ardently to the very end to maximize the weight of a thousand grains will the rich fruits of high yield come.

All officials and workers in the agricultural sector must hold high the banner of scientific farming first and responsibly conduct crop management to the very end, surely capturing the grain heights set by the Party this year.

Staff Reporter Pak Chol

---

Re-established Technical Study Plan

One day, after visiting work teams and returning to the management committee, the heart of the economist of the Ryondam Farm in Unjong County was joyful.

The conversation with one work team leader lingered in his mind. After understanding the actual state of farming and about to turn his steps, the work team leader said he had something to suggest.

It was that now, as the enthusiasm for scientific farming is high among farm members, he wished technical studies on agricultural science and technology would be organized more often.

Much came to mind. Through his words, he could picture the image of farm members trying to do all farm work scientifically.

Afterwards, the farm re-established and implemented a realistic technical study plan. It raised the requirement to clearly assign tasks to every farm member and carry out the plan without fail. It actively conducted dissemination work, including operating the agricultural science and technology dissemination room and holding technical short courses.

This played an important role in raising the level of the farm members.

Staff Reporter Chon Myong Il

---

Gave Priority to New Product Development

The Triple-Three Revolution Red Flag Huichon City Daily Necessities Production Cooperative is a famous unit that does well in the resource recycling business.

The products produced here today are numerous in variety and also good in quality, becoming popular items demanded everywhere.

The secret lies in the cooperative's officials giving priority to new product development.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said as follows:

"Efforts must be put into new product development and quality improvement to produce more light industry products of world level in greater quantities."

Regarding the resource recycling business, the cooperative's officials consistently maintain one thing.

It is that the more a unit conducts production based on recycled raw materials, the more it must exert efforts above all else in new product development. Only then can it enhance competitiveness in product production and constantly renew resource recycling technology.

In reality, as a result of putting effort into new product development, the production amount per employee at the cooperative increases yearly, and resource recycling technology has also developed to a considerable level.

Then, what do the officials here emphasize in new product development?

Above all, it is correctly setting the direction of new product development through the process of deeply studying and learning Party policy.

Examples include the rice nutrient pellet seedbed, barley sprout cultivation tray, and silkworm egg incubation tray developed this year.

The 11th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea emphasized actively introducing advanced scientific and technological achievements in the agricultural, livestock, and sericulture sectors to increase production capacity.

In the process of deeply studying the ideas and spirit of the Party Central plenary meeting, Management Chairman Ri Hae Ryong turned his attention to the method of raising rice seedlings in greenhouses being actively introduced in farms across various regions. Thus, what he personally conceived and put into practice was the rice nutrient pellet seedbed, which is highly demanded in the agricultural sector.

The barley sprout cultivation tray and silkworm egg incubation tray widely used in dairy goat farms across various regions and sericulture units in Jagang Province are also new products conceived and developed by the cooperative's officials and technicians in the process of deeply studying and learning Party policy.

Next is actively mobilizing the strength and wisdom of the producer masses.

New product development is, literally, a creative undertaking that must create new products. Therefore, it presupposes painstaking exploration and tenacious practice.

The more difficult and arduous the task, the better the results when thoroughly relying on the masses and actively mobilizing their inexhaustible strength and wisdom.

Whenever new product development tasks arise, the officials here organize collective idea solicitation and, for positive suggestions and ideas, put effort into ensuring production staff, technical preparers, and maintenance work team leaders all participate to lead to successful fruition.

The water-permeable pavement blocks, now in high demand at rural housing construction sites in Huichon City and throughout the province, were also developed through the collective wisdom and strength of the producer masses.

The reality of the Huichon City Daily Necessities Production Cooperative, which is actively contributing to local economic development and the improvement of people's living, further highlights the significance and importance of new product development work in carrying out the Party's resource recycling policy.

Staff Reporter So Nam Il

---

Spurring Production of Large-scale Equipment for Carrying Out Local Development Policy

-At the Rakrang Building Materials Technology Exchange under the Pyongyang Construction Committee-

Photo by Staff Reporter Ri Kang Hyok