솔선수범

Lead first to set an example.

[Milestone: Electrification 2/]

Aoji-ri, February 21st, 1949

"...which is most unacceptable, and the reason for the stringent program to replace the knowledge lost by the expulsion of the Japanese empire-dogs," Ri Mun-hwan said. The meeting of senior-level managers at the Aoji-ri Chemical Complex nodded. Some stir had been caused in the company when a cable had come in not a week before informing them of the visit of the head of the Industry Department, for an unclear purpose.

He arrived, right on schedule in a Soviet-manufactured staff car - the type that had only recently become in widespread use by the People's Committee. The meeting was held, the topic rather dry, everyone nodding their head in agreement at the restatement of the policies of the state.

Then Ri, as if remembering his own purpose, had turned and smiled. "Thus, Aoji-ri will be the first complex connected to the new coal-firing facility at Kyongchung. This will allow additional, focused output - preceding an expansion of the plant in the next five-year plan."

The news came as welcoming, for despite the massive expansion of electrical power in the north, transmission lines still were far from reliable, and blackouts occurred at end customers from time to time especially in high winds. Thus the construction of local power plants at many important industrial facilities was ordered, as part of the further electrification of Korea. These plants use coal - a vast, abundant resource in the north, supplementing the hydropower of the Sup'ung Dam which currently provides the majority of power in the North.