Last year witnessed the fulfilment of key and priority tasks for the development of science and technology and a stride forward in solving sci-tech problems arising in boosting production in key industries, light industry, agriculture and other economic sectors and improving the people’s standards of living.

The Eleventh Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea put forward the enhancement of the role of the scientific circles as an important task for this year when the first stage of comprehensive development of socialism will be concluded.

I keenly feel our heavy responsibility for the country’s sci-tech administrative work as I ruminate on the great expectations and trust of the Party that hopes the scientific sector would redouble efforts to bring about more perfect results and transformation in achieving dynamic advance of the overall economy.

The WPK wants the scientific circles to turn out as one to achieve spectacular success fully supporting the implementation of the decisions of the Eighth Congress of the Party and leading to a new stage of development.

All the civil servants at the State Commission of Science and Technology are now filled with enthusiasm to markedly increase the sci-tech strength so as to provide a sure guarantee for attaining this year’s goals and give spurs to the growth and development of the overall national economy.

We will perfectly solve one by one the important sci-tech problems arising in developing economic sectors including metal, chemical and other key industrial sectors, agriculture and light industry and improving the people’s living standards.

We will deliberate on new sci-tech achievements by the yardstick of scientific accuracy, effectiveness and practicality and establish a system to promptly introduce them into production, thereby contributing to making all the sectors and units maximize production and economy, enhance the quality of products and increase their quantity and boost labour and production efficiency.

We will establish an advanced sci-tech database of different fields including crop farming, animal husbandry, fishing and land management in keeping with the regional characteristics of cities and counties and develop and introduce a comprehensive information service system capable of immediate dissemination, while quickly settling with concerted efforts the sci-tech problems arising in the construction and operation of regional-industry factories, multifunctional cultural complexes and others.

We will also conduct the activities of the February 17 shock brigade of scientists and technicians purposefully and in a flexible manner to greatly encourage the revitalization of production in major fields of the national economy.

Bearing in mind our mission of shouldering the country’s sci-tech administrative work, we will innovate administrative management for sci-tech development to make the scientific circles a motive force in supporting this year with weighty creative and innovative successes.

Choe Chi Myong, department director of the State Commission of Science and Technology