Pyongyang, September 7 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun Wednesday dedicates an article to the 8th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's work "Let Us Thoroughly Implement the Line of Economic Construction in the Era of Songun Laid Down by the Party".

He in the work laid down the new line of economic construction calling for giving priority to the development of the defence industry while simultaneously developing light industry and agriculture and, on this basis, clarified the issues of pushing forward the economic construction by a Songun political mode, abiding by the principle of socialism and giving full play to the advantages of the socialist economy and decisively increasing the responsibility and role of the economic guiding officials, etc.

The line of economic construction in the era of Songun is an original one as it helps most correctly combine the defense upbuilding and economic construction and the issue of people's living and successfully settle them on the highest level, the author of the article notes, and goes on:

It is the bitter lesson taught by history and reality that a country cannot escape the fate of a ruined nation if it fails to give priority to bolstering its military capability and developing its defense industry.

It is thanks to the powerful defense industry that the Korean people are now dynamically pushing forward the building of an economic power full of conviction of sure victory and optimism. The military parade held last year on the 65th birthday of the Workers' Party of Korea fully demonstrated the nation's military capability, the tremendous potential of its defence industry.

It is an intrinsic demand for the socialist economic construction to systematically improve the standard of people's material and cultural life. The ultimate aim of the DPRK's policy of Songun and building of an economic power is to bring the people's ideal and happiness into full bloom.

Great progress has been made in the development of light industry and agriculture through the struggle for implementing the line of economic construction in the era of Songun under the leadership of the Party.

Heavy industry is a mainstay for independent national economy and a main foundation for the building of an economic power.

The defense industry is based on the heavy industry and the development of light industry and agriculture is also premised on that of heavy industry.

Tremendous is the potential of the heavy industry consolidated by the Korean people for decades.

Only when the heavy industry is further developed and the existing economic foundation and production capability are effectively used, the nation's economy will make more dynamic progress.

The above-said line is a strategic line for the socialist economic construction to be consistently held fast to by the Korean people.