Newly appointed North Korean Premier Pak Tae Song has conducted his first on-site inspections, visiting facilities related to the machinery industry and emphasizing the importance of economic policies centered on science and technology.
On Monday, the Workers’ Party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported that “Pak Tae Song, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and Premier of the DPRK, inspected various sectors on-site.”
Pak visited the Rakwon Machinery Complex and the Sinuiju Chemical Fiber Factory, where he personally examined the facilities, encouraged officials and workers, and urged them to accelerate their achievements.
According to the newspaper, he repeatedly stressed the advancement of the machinery industry and the enhancement of scientific and technological capabilities.
The article stated that Pak urged officials to recognize “the significance of their roles in developing the nation’s machinery industry, deepen their strategies and management to enhance productivity and quality of machinery products, and continually strengthen their technical capabilities.” He emphasized the need to “upgrade equipment performance, improve the precision of manufacturing and assembly processes, and enhance the practicality and efficiency of production systems and management operations.”
The newspaper also reported that during on-site meetings, officials discussed issues such as the supply of materials needed for increased production, methods to maximize the role of the April 15 Technical Innovation Shock Brigade, and strategies for reducing production costs by adopting advanced scientific technologies.
Pak also visited the command center for the construction of 50,000 housing units in Pyongyang. According to the newspaper, “The Premier inspected the command center for the 50,000-unit housing construction project in Pyongyang, which has entered a major construction phase in the new year. He assessed whether there were any shortcomings in the nearly completed third phase of the 10,000-unit housing project in the Hwasong District and stressed the need to prepare for the project’s completion proactively.”
Pak Tae Song was appointed Premier during the Workers’ Party’s year-end plenary meeting in December 2024. Previously, he was the Party’s Secretary for Science and Education and Chairman of the State Commission for Space Science and Technology, leading scientific exchanges between North Korea and Russia. His appointment as Premier to oversee North Korea’s economic policies has drawn significant attention.
Pak’s early-year visits to emphasize the importance of scientific and technological development and the role of officials suggest that North Korea aims to focus its economic policies more heavily on machinery and chemical industries this year compared to previous years.