North Korea is ramping up production efforts by touting the achievements of key factories through state propaganda ahead of the party’s plenary meeting scheduled for the end of this month.
The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s state-run newspaper, ran a front-page article on Saturday under the headline Continuous Innovation, Consecutive Leaps, stating that the final days of the first half of the year were underway and describing each day as pivotal for completing the five-year plan adopted at the 8th Party Congress.
The paper claimed that people across the country were working with patriotic energy and enthusiasm to raise productivity. In another article titled Advancing Toward the Victorious Completion of the Five-Year Plan, it reported that the Musan Mining Complex had increased iron ore output by more than 1.2 times and waste rock processing by over 1.3 times compared to the previous year. The textile industry, it said, had already produced workers who had fulfilled their two-year goals.
On page two, the paper stressed that communist revolutionaries should care for the masses with the heart of a mother. It described the Workers’ Party as the so-called Mother Party, suggesting this title symbolized the Party’s invincibility and moral identity. The report urged officials to prioritize resolving the problems that the people were enduring and expecting to be addressed.
Page three carried an article titled “The Basic Tasks of Our Party’s Rural Development Strategy,” which asserted that external forces were attempting to generate severe food shortages through persistent pressure and isolation, thereby eroding public confidence and damaging the image of the Party and the state. The paper emphasized that North Korean farmers were strongly motivated to protect the Party and revolution by boosting grain production.
Page four highlighted the ongoing construction of 10,000 housing units in the Hwasong district, stating that the dedicated efforts of loyal civilian builders, capital city residents, and military families were accelerating the day when the success of the 8th Party Congress’s policies would be realized there first. It also noted that triplets from Chongjin had been discharged from the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital last Friday, accompanied by much celebration.
On page five, the paper assessed the performance of scientific research institutions during the first half of the year. It urged scientists and technicians to thoroughly evaluate their activities and face the second half of the year with renewed determination and greater resolve. It also reported that the Ministry of Light Industry and affiliated production units had completed the second phase of school uniform and backpack fabric production by May.
Page six featured a ceremony at the Sangwon Cement Complex honoring workers who had exceeded their monthly production goals. The paper argued that the event reflected the true spirit of North Korea’s socialist system, led by the working class. It showcased the determination of Sangwon workers to repay the Party’s trust with loyalty and fervor.
