Chairman
"With a deep understanding of the advantages of railway electrification, President
The pains taken by President
To eradicate the colonial lopsidedness and deformity of the railways under the Japanese imperialists' brigandish plunder policy, and develop our rail transport rapidly as soon as possible was an important task for the economic development of the country and providing convenience for the people.
Therefore, President
Although he was very busy with the state affairs after the liberation of the country, he personally visited Cholwon Railway Station in Kangwon Province after hearing the news that workers there had restored the electric train (it was a small one whose carriage had an electric motor) thrown away by the Japanese imperialists, and gave them orientation for the electrification of the country's railways and the task of training technical personnel.
In the evening of September 15, Juche 37(1948), the President called senior officials of the Cabinet and officials of the Ministry of Transport to his office and said that the railways play a very important role in nation building and the economic development of the country. He went on to say that it was planned to electrify some sections of the railways as the first major project after the founding of the DPRK.
He said with confidence that our country is abundant in electric power resources, so it is possible to electrify all the railways of the country in the future.
Everyone was surprised, because just three years before Korea had been regarded as the most backward country in the world owing to the harsh colonial rule of the Japanese imperialists over 40 years.
Moreover, just a few days after the founding of the DPRK, he proclaimed as a plan the electrification of the railways, which could be possible only in the countries boasting of the history of industrial development of several hundred years.
Looking with a bright smile on his face at the officials full of hope, expectation and doubts, the great leader explained that he was going to begin with the Kaego-Koin and Yangdok-Chonsong railways whose gradients were seriously hindering rail transport as it was impossible to complete the railway electrification project at once in that situation.
Listening to the officials, who fully agreed to the electrification of the railways, the President said that if agreed, the electrification of the railways should be started, and that it was of great political and economic significance in the sense that it was the first major construction project to be carried out after the founding of the Republic. He stressed that when the electrification project was completed, it would be the first gift presented to the people after the founding of our republic.
All of a sudden, a wave of passion swept the room.
After looking round the officials who were unable to conceal their excitement, he declared in a loud voice; it is very difficult to electrify the railways by ourselves because of the shortage of technology, experience, materials and everything else. However, we must bravely overcome the difficulties and obstacles, electrify the railways by our own efforts and technology, and rapidly rebuild and develop the railway transport destroyed by the Japanese imperialists. Only then will it be possible to rehabilitate and develop the country's economy and further strengthen the democratic base in there. The project should be completed by the end of December next year and thus the inexhaustible strength of the Korean people in power and the might of the DPRK should be demonstrated to the whole world.
All the officials rose up and expressed absolute support to the decision of the President with enthusiastic applause.
He personally took measures to concentrate the technical personnel and materials, equipment across the country on the project as well as funds needed.
In October, Juche 38 (1949) when the country's electrification of the railways was first realized, he personally got on an electric locomotive at Koin station in the deep mountainous area of Jagang Province, and on the way to the next station with the engine driver, he encouraged him to become masters in electrifying our country's railways in the future.
Thanks to his far-reaching plan and energetic leadership, the work to electrify the railways of the whole country has been successfully completed in our country.
The electrification of the railways in our country became the first gift presented to the people after the founding of the Republic.
