Taehung which sits over 1 000 meters above the sea level is the highest and the most rugged place of all the places occupied by workers in our country.
This steep land, that is apt to keep visitors aloof, has now turned into youth hero mine churning out Juche clinker and a modern village under socialism thanks to the loving care and trust placed by the great General
The respected Comrade
"The life of General
It was thanks to the loving care shown by the General that the unknown mine in a deep valley came to shed its rays as a hero mine.
In the mid-1980s the General saw to it that the then small mine was reorganized as Taehung Mining Complex. And he proposed the construction of a long-distance conveyer belt and a crushing and sieving ground for the expansion of its production capacity and solved all problems for the project including equipment, funds and labor.
True to the high intention of the General, lots of young people volunteered to work in the mine and the large-scale project for production capacity expansion that followed turned the mine into the country's leading magnesite producer.
On June 5, Juche 91 (2002) the General visited Puktu Branch Mine under Taehung Youth Mine situated over 1 700 meters above the sea level, the highest and windiest place in the mine that even the mine villagers hesitated before mounting.
From early that morning the General looked round Komdok Mine. Then he went up to Ore Dressing Shop No. 3 in the rugged Unryongdok and straight headed for Puktu Peak. His dusty shoes and trousers spattered with muddy water were clearly indicative of the every hardship overcome by the General.
After learning in detail about the production and operation of the mine, the General, rather than criticizing the officials for not properly fulfilling their duty as owners of the mine, was so considerate as to say it could be difficult to finish the project with the efforts of the mine only. He instructed the officials to put the production going on at a high rate after the completion of the on-going project and to set up proper control system in the mine to prop it up as early as possible.
He highly commended the young people devoting their youth to the mine in hearty response to the Party's intention, and signed his autograph on a humble letter presented by them. In the period of the Arduous March, he was so thoughtful of the miners working in the windy mountain peak that he sent them thousands of winter clothes, shoes and caps and lots of TVs. When they registered achievements, though small, he made sure that high decorations were awarded to them. It was thanks to his warm loving care that the miners could maintain their posts despite difficulties.
Yet, he, personally visiting the mine, was so considerate of the miners working on a high altitude and solved problems the mine had one by one.
Upholding the patriotic call of the General, the miners of Taehung opened a breakthrough in normalizing production that month and started production in the magnesia clinker branch factory from the end of August after completing its repairing. They also turned the remote mountainous mine area into a fantastic miners' street admired by all.
The General sent a letter of thanks to the mine on January 5, Juche 94 (2005) and conferred high official commendations and gifts to a number of miners and even bestowed such loving care as building a dental branch hospital in Taehung.
On May 20, Juche 98 (2009) he visited Taehung Youth Mine housed at the dead end of the valley scores of kilometers away even from Tanchon City.
The manager of the mine briefed him about the amount of ore deposits, production processes and distribution outlets, and reported that the mine produces magnesia clinker and hard burned magnesia with the use of anthracite coal abundant in the country without relying on imported cokes.
The non-use of cokes in the production of magnesia clinker was one of the behests left by the great leader President
So when the General had visited the Tanchon area he earnestly mentioned this issue and actively supported the proposal for the provision of anthracite and made a brilliant suggestion for updating the reactor in a modern way for further glorifying the leadership exploits of the President.
Those periods were unforgettable days which convinced the people the truth of the revolution that when they rise up in reliance on their own strength, success is within immediate reach but if not, it becomes far, far away.
Watching products, made of domestically available raw materials, put on display, the General repeatedly praised the workers of the Taehung Youth Mine for their laudable exploits, saying that it is a revolution and a gigantic feat of tremendous significance in the development of the country's industry that the production of fireproof materials has been put on a Juche basis.
Proudly declaring that the behest of the President to put national economy on a Juche basis has been realized, the General said that the designers, workers and officials who contributed to the non-use of cokes are all heroes.
He then said with confidence that Taehung Youth Mine should be renamed Taehung Youth Hero Mine.
The great General worked heart and soul to turn to good account the natural resources in Taehung land for the sake of the people.
It was thanks to his loving care and trust by which he visited the miners working in the highest place under the sky and led them step by step that the mine could make proud declaration of Juche industry, free from the yoke of cokes that had been strangling the lifeline of the mine for a long time.
The gold medal of hero was what the miners should have presented to the General but the General counted all the achievements to the credit of the workers and conferred the noble title of hero miners on all the workers in Taehung.
This is the touching story of how the first hero mine was born in our country.
The miners of the Taehung Youth Hero Mine enshrine deep the great loving care and trust shown by the President and the General, and are now working hard in the van of the drive for attaining the goal of the five-year plan for national economic development set forth at the 8th Congress of the Party, under the leadership of the respected General Secretary
