The first leg of his guidance was the Songun Foundry of the Ryongsong Machine Complex ready for going operational.

After being briefed on the foundry before its process design, he went round the interior of the foundry for hours to acquaint himself in detail with its technical equipment and production there.

Watching the streamlined production processes equipped with cutting-edge technology and varieties of quality castings being churned out from work sites kept neat and tidy, he expressed great satisfaction over the fact that production is going at a high rate at the modern foundry.

He gave high appreciation and thanks to the builders for their feats, noting it is a great success that the workers of the complex have brought about a new turn in the casting revolution by building the foundry required by the IT age by their own efforts and with their own technology.

The newly built foundry is another great structure in the era of Songun of which the nation can be proud in terms of its capacity and technical equipment.

He advanced important tasks to be fulfilled by the foundry for its management and operation.

Such basic processes as steel casting, molding and forging are important for updating the foundry and increasing the manufacture of machines, he noted, underscoring the need to steadily enhance the role of the foundry fitted with up-to-date equipment.

He learned about the production at the Ryongsong Machine Complex.

He was greatly pleased to hear the report made by officials of the complex full of conviction that the complex is capable of carrying out its plan for this year ahead of schedule, ie before the 65th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea. He appreciated the exceptionally high zeal of the workers there.

The Korean people could successfully realize the socialist industrialization in such brief span of time and rapidly augment the nation's economic potential as it was strongly backed by many giant machine plants such as the complex, he noted, adding that this clearly testifies to the validity and tremendous vitality of the WPK's unique line of economic construction on giving priority to the development of heavy industry with machine-building industry as its core while simultaneously developing light industry and agriculture.

The next leg of his guidance was the construction site of the gasification process at the Hungnam Fertilizer Complex.

After being briefed on the gasification process before its huge design, he went round the construction site to acquaint himself with the progress made in the project.

He repeatedly spoke highly of the shining feats performed by the workers of the complex and the builders and their helpers, noting that they not only brought about an eye-opening change in Hungnam but became able to greet the moment soon when they will shout hurrah of victory by waging a tenacious offensive true to the slogan of the Party that the DPRK can do anything when it is determined.

He set forth the tasks to be fulfilled by the complex to complete the project earlier than scheduled, saying that the completion of the gasification process at the complex would make it possible not only to establish more solid Juche-oriented system of fertilizer production relying on locally available raw materials but to bring about a signal turn in settling food shortage.

He called for channeling all efforts into winding up the most profitable Juche-based fertilizer production system to complete the project as early as possible and make it possible to mass-produce fertilizers in a short span of time.

He said that it is necessary to finish the gasification project in a brief span of time and, at the same time, speed up the construction of the process for the production of methanol, one of the essential raw materials for chemical industry, in order to bring about a radical change and leaping progress in the development of the nation's chemical industry as required by the new century. And he specified the orientation and ways to do so.

He expressed expectation and conviction that the workers of the complex would bring about a fresh turn in the construction of the gasification process by displaying matchless devotion and popular heroism in socialist construction.

He was accompanied by Kwak Pom Gi, chief secretary of the South Hamgyong Provincial Committee of the WPK, Jang Song Thaek, vice-chairman of the NDC of the DPRK and department director of the WPK Central Committee, Kim Ki Nam, secretary of the C.C., the WPK, and Kim Kyong Hui, Hong Sok Hyong and Thae Jong Su, department directors of the C.C., the WPK.