Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- Coal production is on the increase in the DPRK.

Workers in the field of coal industry overcame sorrow with strength and courage at a time when the whole country is overwhelmed with grief over the great loss to the nation.

According to information available from the Ministry of Coal Industry, the coal production showed a remarkable growth in the last three days.

Officials of the ministry proceeded to production sites to command operations.

Yun Ryong Hwan, 48, vice department director of the ministry, said at the February 8 Jiktong Youth Coal Mine that the workers there were in sky-high-spirit to implement leader Kim Jong Il's last instructions to boost coal production.

All the coal mines at the Sunchon Area Youth Coal Complex are conducting bold operations, giving priority to sequence drilling and blasting. Their daily production quotas are now being carried out at 170 per cent as compared with that in the past through the raise of efficiency of the coal faces.

The speed of capital tunneling jumped 1.4 times at the coal mines of the Tukjang Area Coal Complex.

Many coal mines at the Tokchon Area Coal Complex including Sochang Youth, Jenam and Namyang Coal Mines are focusing their efforts on giving full play to the existing production capacity.

Coal mines in Anju, Myongchon and Chonnae areas are overfulfilling their daily production plans while putting main emphasis on preparatory tunneling.

Coal miners across the country are working hard to send more coal to various fields of the national economy, fully confident that the cause of building a thriving nation is sure to triumph as it is led by Kim Jong Un, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea.