N Korean leader makes 2 visits to chemical plants over several days.

PYONGYANG, February 10 (Itar-Tass) - For the second time over a period
of several days, the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has visited a large
chemical factory in the county's east.
Local mass media said Wednesday he visited a large chemical facility
in the province of Hamgyong-namdo /South Hamgyong/. In the course of the
trip, the North Korean leader was accompanied by Prime Minister Kim Yong
Il.
Kim Jong Il "for several hours exercised leadership on the spot" at a
factory in the city of Hamhung where the synthetic fibre known as vinalon
is produced.
This eastern city is generally known as the centre of synthetic fibres
manufacturing in North Korea and the trip there took place Monday,
February 8.
Media reports say Kim Jong Il was generally satisfied with the
production process at the factory, saying that vinalon "is in no ways
worse in terms of quality than cotton or wool and it serves as a perfect
raw material for the national textile industry."
The streamlining of a comprehensive production process at the factory
in Hamhung "has become a crucial event for the entire country and it
signals yet another great victory scored by the Korean people."
He praised the workers of the factory, "who managed to construct new
production premises over a brief period of time on the basis of own
identical technologies and most recent achievements of science."
"This will enable us to make a breakthrough in the manufacturing of
clothes in this country shortly," Kim Jong Il said.
He urged the Koreans to turn this year, which marks the 65th
anniversary since the foundation of the Korean Workers' Party, into a time
of great changes opening up the road to the rise of a great and affluent
state.
-0-kle/usn