In this regard, Ri Jong Min, an official of the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry, told KCNA:

Efforts will be concentrated on the expansion of metal factories' production capacity this year to meet the growing demand for iron and steel.

The project is now going on at Kim Chaek and Hwanghae iron and steel complexes to build energy-saving oxygen heat blast furnaces and install large oxygen separators, which will double the iron and steel production capacity.

Also, works are being pushed ahead to supply enough raw materials and fuel in accordance with the expansion of production capacity.