Kim Man Su, vice-minister of Electric Power Industry, told KCNA that large-scale hydropower stations, including the Huichon Power Station, had been built in the country under the leadership of Kim Jong Il, providing foundations for raising the electric power production.

The ministry plans to push ahead with the construction of large-scale hydropower stations, while steadily reconditioning existing generating equipment of power stations, he added.

Kim Chang Sok, a department director of the Ministry of Coal Industry, said that the ministry will give priority to developing new coal fields this year to fully supply thermal-power stations and chemical and metal factories with coal, and increase assistance to coal mines.

Ri Un Chon, a department director of the Ministry of Metal Industry, said:

"Upon receiving the joint New Year editorial, all the officials and workers in the metal industrial sector are turning out in the effort for increasing the capacity of the steel production based on locally available raw materials and fuel, introducing the technology of high-temperature air combustion by domestic fuel in production and updating the rolled steel production process."

Kim Hwa Sik, a department director of the Ministry of Chemical Industry, said that the ministry will consolidate the fertilizer production system based on raw materials and fuel available in the country, boost the fertilizer output and produce a variety of chemical fibers and plastics.