DPRK state media reported on 28 June (Thursday) that Cabinet Premier Choe Yong Rim visited coal and iron ore mines in South Hamgyo’ng Province. Choe, who served as minister of metal industries during the 1990s, toured the mines and held meetings with local mine managers and officials. According to KCNA, “the meetings took steps for giving precedence to tunneling, earth removal and construction of pits and increasing the rate of use of indigenously produced parts of machines and equipment and increasing the railway freight turnover. The meetings called upon economic officials to creatively do all work with an innovative view in line with the intention of dear respected comrade Kim Jong Un as required by the new century.” During his visit to South Hamgyo’ng, Choe also toured To’kso’ng County, which was recently flooded. Choe “learned about the damage done by flood which hit To’kso’ng County and took measures to ensure that the living of the people in the afflicted area returns to normal as early as possible.”
