When visiting the complex in March Juche 98 (2009) General Secretary Kim Jong Il praised them for having built an efficient electric arc furnace in a short span of time to turn out high-grade molten iron in large quantities, appreciating the great achievement gained by their revolutionary spirit of self-reliance.

Self-reliance is a tradition of the complex.

Just before the liberation of the country, the Hwanghae Iron Works, the precursor of the complex, was totally destroyed by the Japanese imperialists but its workers rehabilitated it on an expansion basis in a short period and boosted iron and steel production, contributing to the building of a new country.

In the postwar period, they replaced the 50-ton-capacity open-hearth furnace, destroyed by the U.S. imperialists during the war, with a 100-ton-capacity one by themselves in less than a year, demonstrating the mettle of the Korean people once again.

The complex, however, had sharply declined in productivity owing to the imperialists' intensified anti-DPRK campaign during the "Arduous March," forced march, which was recorded as most rigorous years in the history of the Republic.

But it made another exertion, believing in their strength, to build coke-free steel-making facilities on a large and modern basis, including an UHP electric arc furnace and continuous roughing shop, and raise the production considerably.

Its experience shows that self-reliance is a key to effecting an uninterrupted upsurge in socialist construction and a treasured sword for victory.