He went round a hot-rolling shop and various other production processes to learn in detail about the production and technological updating at the complex.

Watching the newly built high temperature air combustion heating furnace put on a CNC basis at the hot-rolling shop, he expressed great satisfaction over the fact that the workers of the complex built another giant structure capable of placing the metal industry on a Juche-oriented and modern basis and radically increasing the production of iron and steel as befitting the eldest son of the country.

The construction of the above-said heating furnace made it possible to produce as many billets as they want by using as fuel the gas from the furnace, not using heavy oil at all, he said, highly appreciating the remarkable technological progress being made in all processes as required by the era of knowledge-based economy.

He extended thanks to the officials, workers and technicians of the complex and other domain related to it for making a big contribution to putting the metal industry on a Juche-oriented and modern basis while steadily boosting the production of iron and steel.

The complex plays a very important role in the nation's economic development, he noted, setting forth important tasks to be carried out by it.

He said that the most important task facing the complex is to expand the scope of the Juche iron production, attain the goal of placing production on a CNC basis earlier than scheduled and operate not only the hot-rolling process but the cold-rolling process in the indigenous manner with a view to sufficiently supplying varieties and diverse standards of iron and steel required by various sectors of the national economy.

The relevant enterprises have important roles to play for keeping the production going at a high rate at the complex, he said, adding that it is necessary for power stations, mines and coal mines in charge of the supply of electricity, raw materials and fuel to supply more power, concentrated iron ore and coal to it in time.

It is the Party's intention to settle all the issues arising in building an economic power on the basis of science and technology, he noted, underlining the need for the complex to continue staging vigorous campaigns to put overall production processes on a higher modern and CNC basis as required by the era of knowledge-based economy in order to keep the iron and steel production going at a high rate.

He expressed great expectation and belief that the heroic workers of the complex would successfully fulfill the honorable tasks given to them by the party as they established a tradition of loyalty by devotedly upholding the Central Committee of the WPK with the increased production of iron and steel in each grim period of the revolution and making a great contribution to the building of a self-supporting national economy and the socialist construction.

He was accompanied by Kim Ki Nam, member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the C.C., the WPK, Kim Kyong Hui, member of the Political Bureau and department director of the C.C., the WPK, Jang Song Thaek, alternate member of the Political Bureau of the C.C., the WPK and vice-chairman of the NDC, Thae Jong Su, alternate member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the C.C., the WPK, and Ju Kyu Chang, alternate member of the Political Bureau and department director of the C.C., the WPK.