economy

There is a kimchi factory also in the Hwasong area which was built as a flourishing socialist living space and an ideal street of the people.

Shortly ago, I visited the Hwasong Kimchi Factory to cover kimchi-making processes in the season for preparing kimchi for the winter when every household is busy with making the traditional Korean food.

Guided by Manageress Paek Mi Hye, I entered the entrance hall where there was a mural which attracted my notice.

The mural’s title is “Kimchi fragrance”, she told me, adding that the respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un had seen and praised it for vividly reflecting the national sentiment of the Korean people.

On his first visit to the factory in June 2016, the General Secretary learned that it was turning out only six kinds of kimchi and said that the factory should set a variety of indexes of products to meet the people’s demand as they also like nutritious kimchi for children and chonggak kimchi, a kind of kimchi made with radish and its leaves.

He visited the factory again in January 2017. He said he came there after hearing that the factory had finished a project for remodelling production processes and started producing kimchi and soy preserved foods, before looking round different places of the factory. That day he told the officials that people vary in taste just as they are different from each other in their looks, adding that they should make kimchi according to people’s likings and demand after acquainting themselves with what kinds of kimchi customers favour while running kimchi stands. Later, too, he praised the factory, saying its full bok choy kimchi tasted good.

Hearing the story from the manageress, I was guided into a kimchi processing workshop scented with its unique fragrance. Appetizing full bok choy kimchi seasoned with hot spices on an assembly line made my mouth water.

“When the preparations for building dwelling houses in the Hwasong area were in full swing, the General Secretary learned that officials had decided to move the factory to other place in a formation plan. Then he said that there was no need to move the factory as the residents should be supplied with kimchi after the construction of the area is completed,” Paek said.

At present, the products of the factory are gaining in popularity for their good taste.