economy

In the DPRK, when people hear about Unpha County in North Hwanghae Province, the first thing that comes across their mind is the fact that the people of Taechong-ri in the county, who had suffered unexpected flood damage five years ago, became the masters of all blessings under the loving care of the state.

Recently, the county got to have another source of pride which they call “reversed envy”.

“After the regional-industry factories were newly built in the county, some people became the envy of not only the county residents but also city people. They are none other than the employees of the factories,” said Kim Yong Nam, manager of the Unpha County Foodstuff Factory.

According to him, the factory workers had a cherished desire in the past. “Whenever they saw central light-industry factories on TV, they really wanted to operate such modern machines at an advanced factory,” he said.

But now they are producing dozens of kinds of foodstuffs and condiments at the modernized factory where everything from raw material storage to feeding, making, packaging and shipment is up-to-date.

When the Unpha County regional-industry factories were inaugurated on January 10 this year, the families and relatives, fellow villagers and friends of the employees, along with other people, looked round the factories and expressed their admiration telling the workers how fortunate they are to work at such a wonderful workplace and that they would really like to work there even for one day.

“I had been to a foodstuff factory in the provincial seat and I was very envious of the equipment there. But today we have more sophisticated equipment in our county, and now they envy us in reverse,” said Ri Pok Hwa, leader of the condiments workteam of the Unpha County Foodstuff Factory.

She continued that however hard she worked, she never got tired and that it was the unanimous will of all the employees of the factory that they would repay the favour bestowed on them by the state by handling with great care the new equipment provided by it and producing foodstuffs in large quantities with locally-available raw materials.

They are now studying hard in the online education system and doing their best to improve their skills in order to produce famous goods favoured by the people.

They are keenly aware that the time has come for provincial seats to envy counties and for the capital to envy the provinces.