KIM JONG IL

LET US MAKE A FRESH TURN
IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

WORKING PEOPLE OF THE WHOLE WORLD, UNITE!

KIM JONG IL

LET US MAKE A FRESH TURN
IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Letter to Attendants of the National
Conference of Scientists
October 28, 1991

It is a very meaningful event to hold a national conference of
scientists in 45 years since the first historic conference of
scientists and technicians, convened at the initiative of the great
leader Comrade Kim I] Sung and at which he elucidated the
direction and ways for the development of science and
technology in our country.

The current conference held in an atmosphere in which the
entire people of the country are burning with great revolutionary
enthusiasm to greet the 80" birthday of the great leader more
resplendently will mark an important turning-point to effect a
remarkable development of the national science and technology
to meet the requirements of a new and higher stage of socialist
construction.

Over the past decades the science and technology of the
country have achieved great success under the wise leadership of
the Party and the leader. Our national science and technology,
which broke fresh ground right from scratch after liberation, are
now equipped with a large legion of competent scientists and
technicians, and strong material and technical foundations, capable
of finding successful solutions to the considerable scientific and
technical problems arising in socialist economic construction and
the implementation of the technological revolution.

From the first days of building a new society the great leader
considered the development of science and technology to be an
important matter deciding the destiny of the country and the nation,
showing deep concern for and taking unstinting care of it.
Proceeding from the principles of the great Juche idea, he put
forward the intellectuals as a component of the motive force of our
revolution, along with the workers and peasants. He regarded the
scientists and technicians as invaluable treasures of the country,

and took each and every one of them into his embrace, personally
leading them all in their scientific research work. In spite of the
difficult situation of the Fatherland Liberation War, decisive to the
destiny of the nation, he initiated the establishment of the Academy
of Sciences, thus laying a firm foundation for the development of
our national science and technology; in each period of
revolutionary development he inspired the scientists and
technicians vigorously to the struggle for the Juche-oriented
development of the national science and technology.

Our scientists and technicians have always worked devotedly
to implement the Party’s policy on science, upholding the
leadership of the Party and the leader, thereby making a great
contribution to socialist construction and the development of the
national science and technology. After the war our people built
new modern cities and rural communities on the debris, laid a
solid foundation for an independent national economy in a short
span of time by vigorously stepping up the technological
revolution, and accelerated the grand cause of socialist
construction forcefully at the speed of Chollima plus speed
campaign. All this would have been inconceivable apart from the
creative wisdom and devoted service of our scientists and
technicians. They are now trusting and following our Party
without the slightest vacillation even in the vortex of the present
complex situation, and are making persistent efforts with all their
talent and energy, heedless of appreciation by others, solely for
the Party and revolution, to make the national economy
Juche-oriented, modernized and _ scientifically-based and to
develop the national science and technology to the advanced
world standards in a short period of time.

It is a source of great pride for our Party and our people to
have a huge army of revolutionary scientists and technicians
who, taking the great Juche idea as their unshakable conviction,

are solidly sticking to their revolutionary posts appointed by the
Party, and are striving heart and soul to support the Party and
brighten socialism with science and technology.

I highly appreciate the loyal performance by our scientists
and technicians of their honourable mission and duty to their
motherland and people upholding the leadership of the Party, and
extend my warm thanks to the attendants of this conference and
all the other scientists and technicians of our country.

We are now faced with the heavy task of developing the
national science and technology to a new and higher stage by
making a revolutionary turn in scientific research work.

Developing science and technology quickly is an urgent
requirement of our revolution and for the building of socialism
and communism.

Socialist and communist society can be built only on the basis
of highly developed science and culture. Scientific and
technological development is an important guarantee for stepping
up the technological revolution to ensure the rapid development
of productivity and provide the people with material and cultural
lives, independent and creative. The technological revolution is a
process of introducing the achievements of modern science and
technology to production and disseminating them. Only when the
technological revolution is promoted vigorously through the
rapid development of science and technology is it possible to lay
solid material and technical foundations of socialism and
communism, rid the workers of difficult and hard labour, and
ensure comfortable material and cultural lives for them.

To develop science and technology is now urgent for
safeguarding the cause of socialism and brightening our style of
people-centred socialism all the more.

Now that the imperialists are intensifying their manoeuvres to
stifle socialism more than ever before, advertising their

“economic and technical superiority,” we must rapidly develop
science and technology in order to demonstrate the advantages of
socialism over capitalism, and emerge victorious in the economic
and technical confrontation with the enemy.

In order to successfully fulfil the Third Seven-Year Plan by
giving the fullest play to all the potentials of our existing
economic foundation and accomplish the complete victory of
socialism, we must make a great turn in the development of
science and technology.

Now is the age of science and technology, and
unprecedentedly fast speed is the major characteristic of the
development of modern science and technology. The smaller a
country is, the more efforts it must channel into scientific and
technological progress so as to develop quickly.

We must attain the advanced level of the world as soon as
possible in the development of science and technology by running
ten steps or even one hundred steps when others take one step.

It is our Party’s unshakable determination to develop our
national science and technology to the advanced level of the
world in the near future. Our Party has set the objectives for
development of science and technology to attain by the year
2000, to meet the urgent requirements of the developing
revolution and the trend of development in modern science and
technology. When we attain these objectives, our country will
have reached the advanced level of the world in major technical
and economic indices, and rank among the advanced countries in
scientific and technological development.

We are provided with the conditions for and the possibility of
attaining the grand objectives for the development of science and
technology. All scientists, technicians and leading officials must
turn out in the struggle to attain these objectives with great
revolutionary enthusiasm and firm determination.

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For the present, you must vigorously struggle to carry out a
new three-year plan for the development of science and
technology from this year.

The main task of this plan is to develop the key branches of
science and technology to a new and higher stage, and actively
promote the modernization of the national economy on the basis
of the latest achievements of science and technology. During the
period of this plan we must concentrate our efforts on electronics,
heat engineering, biotechnology, mechanical engineering,
chemistry and the development of new materials so as to develop
them to a new and higher level, and vigorously promote the
building of new factories and the achieving of technical
improvements by up-to-date science and technology.

We must, above all else, continue to channel great efforts into
the development of electronics.

Electronics is the most important sphere of science, a sphere
constituting the core of modern science and technology. Without
its development it will be impossible to equip all the sectors of
the national economy with modern techniques and put all
production processes and management activities on a new
scientific and technical basis.

The scientists and technicians in the sphere of electronics
must work hard to develop electronics and the electronics
industry to a fresh and higher level, and introduce computers and
robots into the key sectors of the national economy, on the basis
of the successes and experiences they have already gained. They
must improve the qualities of the elements and materials used for
newly-developed microcomputers, and increase the rate of their
domestic self-sufficiency, actively develop programs and expand
the scope of computer use. Besides, they must also solve
scientific and technical problems arising in increasing the
production of large-scale integrated circuits and chips for special

semiconductors, and in making high-quality electronic consumer
goods and installing optical-fibre communication systems.

We must pay close attention to the development of
mechanical engineering. The present trend of the development of
this industry is to effect digital control of machinery and other
equipment and introduce robots into the production process. The
mechanical engineering sector must ensure the precision, high
speed and intelligence of machine tools, and raise the quality of
machinery to a high level by inventing high-proficiency
hydraulic machines, mechanical elements and automation
devices. For the present, they must set the production of
Kusong-104 lathes on a regular basis and do their best to invent
new digital-control, modern versatile machine tools and various
other precision machines.

The development of science and technology, machinery and
equipment is guaranteed by the development of materials. Unless
the new materials sector is developed, it will be impossible to
ensure Juche-oriented development of the electronics industry,
bring about modernization of the machinery industry, and
promote the development of up-to-date science and technology as
a whole. The scientists and technicians in this sector must step up
research work to develop compound semiconductors and
precision porcelain materials, essential for the electronics
industry, and to industrialize their production, and push ahead
with research into developing new materials such as
superconducting materials and metal plastic composite materials
as well as materials that can substitute for what are not available
in our country, in a far-sighted way.

To develop heat engineering is a pressing requirement for
easing the strain on the thermal power supply in our country and
satisfying the ever-growing demand for energy of the national
economy. In order to solve the problem of thermal power, we

must, above all, adopt a scientific way for making effective use
of low-heat coal and meta-anthracite, the deposits of which are
abundant in our country. The scientists and technicians working
in this field must channel their efforts into studies with regard to
a new, large power-generating boiler burning low-heat coal and
improve the thermal efficiency and safety of combustion of the
existing large boilers. In addition, they should find solutions to
the relevant scientific and technical problems to make effective
and economical use of energy, and put efforts into research to
develop new kinds of energy such as solar and wind-power
energies, thus opening up a broad vista for their use.

Developing biotechnology and chemistry is of great
significance in improving the people’s living standards, including
the quality of their food and clothing.

It is important for the biotechnology sector to exert efforts to
develop cell engineering, gene engineering, microbiology and
other branches of modern biology, and apply the achievements of
modern biology to agriculture, stockbreeding, medical science
and the food industry, so as to be able to produce high-yield
crops and new varieties of domestic animals as well as a large
quantity and variety of quality medicines and foodstuffs.

The scientists and technicians in the field of the chemical
industry must intensify their research into vinalon, the fibre of the
Juche type, so as to improve its quality, expand its variety and
raise the level of the technique of its production to the highest.
They must also ensure that the quality chemical goods which are
badly needed for agriculture, the light industry and various other
branches of the national economy, are produced from raw
materials available in our country.

While directing our main efforts to the key sectors of science
and technology, we must develop the new spheres of science and
technology, including lasers, and actively introduce the latest

achievements of science and technology into the new factories
and projects for technical improvement. In addition, we must
intensify the study of mathematics, physics, biology and other
basic sciences so that they contribute positively to the national
economy and the development of science and technology.

At the same time as developing the new spheres of science
and technology and intensifying the study of up-to-date science
and technology, scientists and technicians must strive to solve the
problems of making an effective use of the existing economic
foundations, of putting production on a steady basis and of
improving the quality of products in various sectors of the
national economy, including the mining industry, metal industry,
power industry and railway transport. They must also pay close
attention to the technical improvements in the production of
magnesia clinker, in the cultivation and processing of insam, a
traditional medicinal root in our country, in the production and
processing of cocoons and in traditional Korean medicine.

In order to successfully carry out the tasks facing the field of
science and rapidly develop the national science and technology
as a whole, we must firmly establish Juche and thoroughly
embody collectivism in scientific research, and closely combine
scientific research and practical production. This is the consistent
principle adhered to by our Party.

The basic aspect of scientific research is to develop science
and technology in the direction as required by our Party and
revolution, from the unshakable standpoint of Juche. The study
and development of science are aimed at finding solutions to the
scientific and technical problems arising in the course of the
revolution and construction, so as to ensure national well-being
and development and provide the people with comfortable
material and cultural lives. Such items of science and technology
as do not serve the revolution of our country or contribute to our

people’s interests are of no use, no matter how advanced and
modern they may be. Therefore, we must firmly maintain the
Juche-oriented viewpoint and_ attitude in __ scientific
research—always putting the interests of our revolution and our
people at the centre of our thinking and acting.

Scientific research is an activity aimed at elucidating the law
of development of the world and finding a way to transform and
develop nature to meet man’s demand for independence.
Therefore, it requires a high degree of creativity. As
topographical conditions are different from one country to
another, and even the same natural law changes in its form of
expression and mode of action when the natural conditions and
circumstances change, all the problems arising in scientific
research should be solved creatively on the basis of the actual
conditions of one’s own country.

In order to establish Juche in scientific research, scientists and
technicians must equip themselves firmly with the Juche idea and
the Party’s lines and policies, its embodiment, acquire a deep
knowledge of the reality of our country, and give full play to the
revolutionary spirit of self-reliance, solving all scientific and
technical problems in a revolutionary manner by their own
efforts. The Party’s lines and policies concentratedly reflect the
requirements of the Korean revolution and the interests of the
masses, and comprehensively illuminate the direction and ways
of scientific and technological progress. Scientists and
technicians must thoroughly equip themselves with the Party’s
lines and policies, and always think and act on this basis.

We must categorically reject flunkeyism and dogmatism in
scientific research, which would certainly lead this work to
failure. The flunkeyist and dogmatic viewpoint and way of
thinking numb one’s creativity, resulting in failure to have a
correct understanding of various ever-changing realities and

develop a scientific way for scientific and technological
development and socialist construction. We must ensure that our
scientists and technicians do not harbour illusions about the
advanced science and technology of other countries, instead of
believing in their own ability. It is a terrible mistake to think as if
socialism is inferior to capitalism in developing science and
technology, worshipping the advanced science and technology of
capitalist countries. In any society the driving force of the
scientific and technological development is the creativity of the
masses. If we give full play to the revolutionary enthusiasm and
creative wisdom of scientists, technicians and producers, and tap
the national economic potential to the maximum, from the
standpoint of Juche, socialism can certainly surpass capitalism
even in the field of science and technology.

To embody collectivism in scientific research is an intrinsic
demand of socialist society and a basic way for the rapid
development of science and technology. Socialist society is a
collectivist society in which all the members unite as comrades
and cooperate with one another in a comradely manner, guided
by common objectives and interests. It is only in social unity and
cooperation with one another that men can become powerful
beings capable of transforming the world. The superiority of
socialism and the source of its strength lie in the fact that all its
members achieve comradely unity to make concerted efforts for
revolutionary struggle and construction. In collectivism lies also
the source of strength for developing science and technology.
However clever an individual may be, he or she can acquire only
a portion of the scientific and technological success achieved by
humanity. With individual strength and wisdom alone it is
impossible to get a comprehensive cognition of and transform the
complicated and multiform world. Only when people pool
strength and wisdom with one another and make comprehensive

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use of the scientific and technological achievements amassed by
mankind throughout its history, can they fulfil their role as the
prime mover, actively transforming the world as suited to the
needs of mankind.

The embodiment of collectivism in scientific research
requires the establishment of an atmosphere in which scientists
and technicians strengthen comradely cooperation and frankly
exchange their success and experiences in their research and
widely generalize them, under the slogan “One for all and all for
one!” They must also intensify joint and cooperative research,
which makes it possible to efficiently mobilize and use the
existing scientific and technological capabilities and find
opportune and successful solutions to difficult scientific and
technical problems. In the scientific research sector, joint and
cooperative research work must be extensively organized
according to the magnitude of the objects for research and the
content and nature of problems to be solved, and scientists and
technicians should be encouraged to carry out their tasks by
concerted efforts.

The greatest obstacle to the embodiment of collectivism is
self-centredness, which is absolutely intolerable in our society as
an expression of selfishness that is the practice of thinking only
of oneself and giving precedence to individual interests over
those of the collective. Once tolerated, it will bring only the
interests of one’s unit and sector to the fore, rather than those of
society and the collective, causing great harm to the revolution
and construction.

Self-centredness is taboo in scientific research. Since all the
branches and spheres of scientific research are closely interlinked
as a whole organism, we cannot develop science and technology
without eradicating self-centredness. Now that scientific and
technological cooperation and exchanges are thriving extensively

11

across the world it is anachronistic for scientific research
institutes and researchers, out of self-centredness, to make fence
off from one another while engaging in the research work within
the boundary of one and the same country.

In scientific research, all fences must be pulled down, and
relations and creative cooperation between scientists and
technicians, between research institutes and between research
institutes and universities and colleges must be made closer.

Combining scientific theory and actual production closely is a
basic requirement for ensuring success in scientific research and
stepping up the technological revolution.

Scientific research and production are inseparable links
interacting with each other in the process of social production.
Their close connection makes it possible to ensure rapid scientific
and technological progress and accelerate economic construction
on the basis of the achievements gained in scientific research.

Production practice is the source and motive force of scientific
and technological development and the best criterion for judging
the results of scientific research. Science and technology separate
from production cannot develop and are of no value. Only when it
is organically combined with production can scientific research
render a tangible contribution to finding solutions to urgent
problems arising in the revolution and construction, and its
achievements prove their great worth in promoting the
technological revolution and people’s living standards. Scientists
and technicians, basing themselves firmly on reality, must take the
problems arising in practical socialist construction as the subjects
of their scientific research, and solve the scientific and technical
problems appearing in the application of the achievements of their
work to production, in a responsible manner.

In order to combine scientific research with production
practice, scientists and technicians must go deep into the reality

12,

of socialist construction; only then can they know the actual state
of the national economy and problems awaiting immediate
solution in the production and construction, and acquire rich and
valuable experiences of the producer masses.

The shock-brigade activities of scientists and technicians are
an advantageous form of combining scientific research and
production practice. Such shock brigades enable scientists and
technicians to go out to the factories, enterprises and construction
sites as an organized force to conduct creative activities together
with producer masses there, thus making it possible for them to
solve in a mobile way the major scientific and technical problems
of great significance in developing the national economy and to
readily apply new achievements of scientific research and
advanced technology to production. We must build up such
shock brigades with competent officials and invigorate their
activities so that they serve as the vanguard not only in name but
in fact, making breakthroughs in finding solutions to the
important scientific and technical problems arising in the course
of economic construction.

If we are to combine scientific research closely with
production practice we must rationally organize and distribute
research institutes on the principle of bringing them near to the
sites of production and construction. In particular, we must build
up industrial research institutes and the like at the major factories
and enterprises so that they can solve by their own efforts the
scientific and technical problems arising in putting production on
a steady footing and stepping up technical improvement.

What is important in combining science and production is to
step up the verification of the results of laboratory research
through their tests in pilot plants and their introduction into
production. No matter how excellent the achievements in
laboratory research may be, they are not complete until they are

13

applied to production. A new achievement in scientific research
becomes a perfect theory only when it proves its validity and
universality through production practice. The scientific research
sector must make it a rule to verify the results of laboratory
research through testing in pilot plants and in the process of
introduction to production and, on this basis, further research into
them and introduce into production only the achievements which
give complete satisfaction to all scientific and technical problems
that may appear in the production process and with which it is
completely familiar.

In order to fully implement the Party’s policy on science and
bring about a fresh revolutionary change in the development of
our science and technology, it is important to enhance the role of
scientists and technicians.

The rapid development of science and technology depends
entirely on the efforts and work of the scientists and technicians,
the undertakers and masters of scientific and technical progress.
When they fulfil their responsibility and role with a high sense of
the honourable mission and the duty they assume before the Party
and revolution, a new upsurge can be effected in carrying out the
scientific and technological revolution.

In order for the scientists and technicians to perform their
responsibility and role in developing the national science and
technology, they must become genuine loyalists devoted to the
Party and the leader throughout their lives, staunch revolutionaries
possessed of an unshakable conviction in the revolutionary cause
of Juche and strong will, and competent creators of science and
technology conversant with expertise. Unfailing loyalty to the
Party and the leader, unshakable conviction and will and a high
degree of creative ability—these are the qualifications and qualities
essential to our scientists and technicians.

They must equip themselves firmly with the revolutionary

14

outlook on the leader, think and act as required by the Party’s ideas
and intentions, and cherish a high sense of loyalty, trusting and
following only the Party anytime and anywhere. Loyalty to the
Party and the leader is the revolutionary duty and obligation of our
intellectuals who are honoured with trust and title as the Party’s
eternal companions, faithful assistants and good advisers. All
scientists and technicians must revere and hold the Party and the
leader in high esteem from the bottom of their hearts and strive
heart and soul to translate the Party’s idea into reality. With full
confidence in the fact that their loyalty to the leadership of the
Party and the leader leads to the victory of our revolution, the
welfare of our people and the eternal prosperity of our nation, they
must solve all scientific and technical problems no matter how few,
as wished by the leader and as intended by the Party, and bring
every single item of success in their research to the highest
possible level, success that can give pleasure to the leader.

They must equip themselves firmly with an unshakable
conviction in socialism and patriotism. To develop science and
technology is not just a routine matter but an important political
task for ensuring the victory of the socialist cause and
accomplishing the independent development and prosperity of
the nation. He who is not confident of the validity and victory of
the socialist and communist cause cannot display revolutionary
zeal and creativity in the struggle to step up socialist economic
construction and improve the people’s material and cultural lives;
he who lacks ardent love for his country and people and national
pride cannot work heart and soul to raise our science and
technology to the advanced level of the world in the shortest
possible time. Our scientists and technicians must advance
unswervingly along the road of the Juche revolution solely under
the leadership of the Party, without the slightest vacillation, no
matter what obstacles and difficulties may lie on the way ahead.

15

They must devote everything to the struggle to develop our
national science and technology from the Juche-oriented
standpoint, make the country ever more prosperous and further
brighten our style of socialism.

The revolutionary spirit of self-reliance and fortitude and
strong will are qualities essential to scientists and technicians.
Only the man who studies energetically and unyieldingly,
inspired by these qualities, can scale the highest peak of science.
Scientists and technicians must overcome the challenging
difficulties and hardships on the rough road of their scientific
research by their own efforts and give full play to the
revolutionary spirit by which they complete the tasks assigned to
them without wavering before temporary failure.

Scientists and technicians must decisively improve their
qualifications.

They cannot fulfil their duty with only loyalty and
revolutionary enthusiasm, because they must serve the Party and
revolution with science and technology. The present reality, in
which science and technology are developing at a tremendously
fast speed and we are faced with a considerable number of new
scientific and technical problems, requires more urgently than
ever that scientists and technicians improve their practical
qualifications. Scientists and technicians are in charge of the
science front of the Party; when they fail to fulfil their duty just
because of their poor qualifications, it is more shameful than
anything else.

They must study and strive energetically to become efficient
men capable of undertaking their heavy responsibilities before the
times and revolution. Knowledge is strength. They must all
develop the revolutionary habit of study so as to become men of
wide knowledge who are conversant with their special fields,
well-informed of the trend of the developing modern science and

16

technology and possessed of an extensive knowledge of various
branches, and to become experts who are capable of finding
effective solutions to all difficult scientific and technical problems.

We must not leave the work of improving their level of
scientific theory only to their willingness. Not all scientists are
very eager to study. At the same time as encouraging scientists
and technicians to develop the habit of studying voluntarily, we
must tighten control over their studies and take various measures
for improving their levels, including reeducation.

We must step up the administration work of science and
technology.

Scientific research can be successfully conducted only under
the unified guidance of the state. In our society, where the
national economy is managed under the unified guidance of the
state and developed in a planned and balanced manner according
to the law of socialist economy, it is impossible to develop
science and technology as required by economic development
unless it is controlled by the unified guidance of the state. The
problem of the guidance of scientific research is all the more
important as the scientific research institutes increase in number
and many new spheres of science come into existence, giving rise
to intricacy in the relations between the scientific and technical
branches with every passing day.

What is important in the administration of science and
technology is, above all else, to do the planning work efficiently
so as to correctly set the tasks of scientific research and
determine the right order of priority.

The reality of our country, in which we must accelerate
socialist economic construction and develop science and
technology to the advanced level of the world in the shortest
possible time, raises numerous scientific and technical problems
for science to solve. However, we must not attempt to solve

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many problems at one go, prompted by ambition, without taking
the actual conditions into account. The administrative bodies of
science and technology must not spread scientific research
widely but properly determine problems to which solutions
should be found urgently in socialist construction and the main
link to be dealt with on a priority basis in developing the science
and technology of the country to the advanced level of the world
so as to concentrate efforts on them. They must also exert efforts
on the research assignments in hand to finish them in sequence
before setting about new assignments.

In order to ensure success in scientific research, the
authorities must give the scientists and technicians and scientific
research institutes exact research assignments and organize the
work scrupulously so that scientific forces and material and
technical means can be used effectively. Clear objectives and
stage-by-stage assignments for research should be given to them
in conformity with their characteristics and preparedness, so that
they can carry out their tasks with a high sense of responsibility.
In addition, they must arrange meticulously the relations and
portions of work between the Academy of Sciences, higher
education institutes and scientific research institutes by branches,
to actively mobilize and make use of the scientific and technical
forces throughout the country and prevent overlapping research.

Regular supervision and guidance of the process of scientific
research work is a positive method to vigorously promote
scientific research. The administrative bodies of science and
technology must establish a strict order whereby they constantly
check and supervise, and regularly review the fulfilment of
research assignments to find opportune solutions to the
challenging problems, so that the assignments for scientific
research are carried out without fail.

We must intensify the assessment of new achievements of

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scientific and technological research work, and adopt measures to
introduce them immediately into production and construction.

If we are to apply the achievements of scientific research in
production we must conduct examination of them efficiently.
Poorly-tested research results, when introduced into production,
may entail waste of a great deal of funds, materials and manpower,
and cause a hindrance to production, and, furthermore, may give
rise to serious consequences in the development of the national
economy. We must establish discipline whereby the branch science
and technology assessment commissions and the new technology
assessment and introduction commission should introduce only the
achievements of research with which they are familiar and which
are of economic and technical effectiveness by enhancing their
sense of responsibility and role, and ensure that no fame and
self-interest work in evaluating the achievements of research and
applying them to production.

Discipline should be established of compulsorily carrying out
the plans for scientific research and introduction of achievements
into production. The administrative organs of science and
technology must work out these plans in consultation with the
commissions, ministries, factories and enterprises concerned, and
dovetail them into the national plan, so that the research
institutes, and the factories and enterprises in charge of the
introduction of achievements fulfil them compulsorily.
Consequently, they must encourage the scientists and technicians
to produce valuable results in their research, while at the same
time making scientific research achievements gained through
painstaking study and hard work introduced into production
immediately, so that they prove their worth in developing the
national economy and improving the people’s living standards.

It is important to properly appreciate the results of scientific
research. In order to inspire the scientists and technicians to

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creative enthusiasm and stimulate them to actively contribute their
knowledge and technology to production and construction, we
must correctly appreciate the achievements of their work
politically, materially and academically. The appreciation of the
achievements of scientific research must be relative to the extent to
which they contribute to the development of the national economy,
and science and technology. When the scientists and technicians
have solved scientific and technical problems of great value arising
in the course of actual work and effected the application of their
achievements to production, so bringing them to prove their worth,
or when they have developed modern instruments and appliances
for scientific experiments and new, modern equipment, they should
be awarded official commendations and academic titles and their
degrees should also be raised higher as suited to the value of the
achievements. To this end, it is necessary to generally examine the
conventional regulations for evaluating the results of scientific
research and granting academic titles, and reform them to meet the
demands of the developing reality.

We must pay close attention to building up the ranks of
scientists and technicians. Our national economy is developing in
an all-round way and growing in scale with every passing day,
and new realms of science are coming into existence one after
another. This reality presents the need to expand the ranks of
scientists and improve the level of their qualifications. In the field
of scientific research, it is necessary to continuously reinforce the
ranks of scientists and technicians with young intellectuals to
meet the ever-increasing demand for them, and, in particular,
build up the ranks of researchers in the field of up-to-date science
and technology with excellent young and promising men. The
success of scientific research is by no means decided by the
number of researchers. We must make up the ranks of scientists
mainly on the basis of their competency and settle them in their

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workplaces. We must launch a powerful struggle among the men
in the field of scientific research to improve their qualifications,
so as to decisively increase the proportion of associate doctors
and doctors among them.

We must work actively to embrace advanced science and
technology.

Embracing up-to-date science and technology is an important
way to develop the national science and technology quickly.
Science and technology are the priceless creation and common
wealth of mankind containing all the creative wisdom and talent
of mankind. If we do not accept the achievements of the latest
science and technology of the world extensively, it will be
impossible to raise our national science and technology as a
whole to the world level within the shortest period of time.

Accepting advanced foreign science and technology is not
contradictory to the work of establishing Juche in the sphere of
science and technology. By Juche-oriented development of
science and technology, I mean that you must oppose dogmatism
and a servile attitude towards advanced countries in the sphere of
science and technology, not that you should not introduce
advanced foreign science and technology. Developing our
science and technology to a high level by introducing the
advanced science and technology of the world makes it possible
for us to successfully solve the scientific and technical problems
arising in our revolution and construction, and implement the
principle of self-reliance more creditably.

We must intensify exchanges and cooperation with foreign
countries in the domain of science and technology. This will help
us to become informed of the trend of development in modern
science and technology and their latest successes in time and save a
great deal of time, manpower and funds in scientific research. In
the field of science and technology, we must make scientific and

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technological exchanges with foreign countries brisker in various
forms and ways, including exchanges of science and technology
books and personnel, and organize joint ventures and collaboration
on an extensive scale with advanced countries in the realm of the
latest science and technology such as electronics. It is also
necessary to import whole highly-modemized factories, which, in
the course of their operation, will enable us to quickly acquire the
latest science and technology, and will be helpful in our putting
other factories on a modern footing on the model of the former.

Scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation with
foreign countries must by all means be conducted on the
principle of quickly developing our national science and
technology and taking in only what is necessary for making the
national economy Juche-oriented, modem and
scientifically-based.

We must intensify scientific and technological information
work. Efficiency in this work makes it possible to gather valuable
pieces of information badly needed in the development of science
and technology, at the expense of little investment and endeavour.
We must build up the ranks of workers in this field with competent
men, modernize the means of information and establish an
information monitoring system based on the up-to-date
communication means and computers, so collecting and analysing
the scientific and technical information data in a comprehensive
and systematic way. Furthermore, it is important to intensify the
work of integrating new scientific and technical data and giving
timely information about them to scientists and technicians.

Extensive cooperative and joint research work with our
overseas Korean scientists must be organized. The great leader said
long ago that all the people who loved their country and nation
should contribute to the building of a new country, those with
money donating it, those with knowledge contributing it, and those

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with strength devoting it. Developing the national science and
technology is a sacred patriotic work to achieve the welfare and
development of the country and national prosperity, and realize the
independent and peaceful reunification of the country as soon as
possible. We must extensively organize creative cooperation with
the Korean scientists living in Japan and other foreign countries so
that they can participate earnestly in the patriotic work of
developing the science and technology of their motherland.

In order to intensify guidance for scientific research, we must
enhance the role of scientific and technical administration organs.
We must enhance the role of the scientific appreciation
commission in its academic guidance for scientific research, and
consolidate the leadership function of the Academy of Sciences
and its branches and the branch scientific leadership organs, so as
to eradicate subjective and arbitrary practices of individual
officials, and give full scope to the creative initiative and positive
stand of the masses of scientists and technicians. The State
Commission of Science and Technology plays an important role
in developing our national science and technology. It must
establish a unified system of leadership for the administrative
work of science and technology, and concentrate all the scientific
and technical forces available in scientific research institutes as
well as the higher educational institutions and production organs
to solve the problems of great significance in the development of
the national economy.

Laying a solid material and technical foundation for scientific
research and creating adequate conditions for research are
prerequisite for the rapid development of science and technology.
No matter how solidly the ranks of scientists and technicians are
built and how high their ideological consciousness and ability, it
will still be impossible to expect success in scientific research
unless the requisite conditions for research are provided properly.

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We must build up scientific research bases materially and
technically, as required by the development process of modern
science and technology, bases which are the key to the work of
scientific research and the development of science and
technology. Without building them up on a modern basis, it will
be impossible to ensure the success of scientific research
activities and develop our national science and technology in an
independent and far-sighted way. Research rooms, laboratories,
intermediate pilot plants and other facilities necessary for
scientific research must be furnished adequately on the basis of
accurate calculation of the immediate and future demands of the
scientific research sector.

The development of modern science and technology requires
sophisticated and highly-efficient experimental apparatus, and a
variety of reagents and materials. We must build a solid base for
the production of experimental equipment capable of meeting the
ever-increasing demands for them, lest research work should be
hindered. The scientific research sector must establish a strict
system of planning the production of equipment, apparatus and
reagents necessary for research, and ensuring that the top units
supply them all the way down the chain, as required by the Taean
work system, so that scientists and technicians do not have to
move here and there in search of them.

The commissions and ministries of the Administration
Council must supply, on a top-priority basis, the equipment and
materials which are needed for building scientific research bases
and creating the conditions for research, and import experimental
devices, materials and reagents necessary for scientific research
but which are not produced in our country as yet.

We must steadily increase investment in the scientific
research sector. Giving full priority to scientific research over the
development of the national economy is a law-governed

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requirement for socialist economic development. Without
developing science and technology through investment in
scientific research, it will be impossible to ensure the high-speed
growth of production. It is short-sighted to attach importance
only to the production at hand and neglect scientific research and
the development of science and technology. We must increase
the investment in scientific research work so as to give full
precedence to science and technology over the national economy,
and unconditionally provide the necessary funds to this sector
every year.

We must intensify the Party’s guidance of scientific research
work.

The Party’s guidance is a decisive factor determining success in
all work. Without its intensification in scientific research it will be
impossible to advance the national science and technology at a
high speed to meet the requirements of Party policies.

What is important above all else in this undertaking is to work
efficiently with the scientists and technicians. The Party
organizations must rally them closely around the Party and the
leader, and inspire them to great efforts for the implementation of
the revolution in science and technology. They must do
scrupulous ideological work with scientists and technicians in
various forms and by various methods in conformity with their
characteristics, and intensify organizational life among them so
as to give them ceaseless political training.

In doing so they must lead all the scientists and technicians to
become revolutionary intellectuals who are firmly equipped with
the Juche idea, who have cast their lot with the Party forever, and
who loyally support the Party with science and technology.

Party organizations should take good care of scientists and
technicians, and lead them to dedicate all their wisdom and talent
to scientific research. At the same time, they should make sure

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that the scientists and technicians are free from petty worries.
They must extend high appreciation to meritorious scientists and
technicians for their research services and give them prominence
so that they can work with a high degree of political enthusiasm
and effect a new upsurge in scientific research.

What is important in the Party’s guidance of scientific and
technological work is to supervise and guide the Party’s policy on
science and technology so that it is carried out correctly. The Party
organizations must energetically push ahead with the
implementation of the Party’s policy on science and technology,
always regarding it as a task for their own committees. They must
keep regular accounts and control of the state of this work, and
correct any deviations in an opportune manner, so that the Party’s
policy on science and technology is carried out to the letter.

The Party organizations must lead all the officials to have a
correct viewpoint and attitude towards science and technology.
Nowadays, some officials are not paying due attention to the
development of science and technology, neglecting to provide
suitable conditions for scientists and technicians in their research
work. This is mainly because they lack the unshakable viewpoint
that science and technology is the lifeline for national economic
development and the implementation of the technological
revolution. Without developing science and technology right now it
will be impossible to develop the national economy any further and
fully ensure independence in politics, self-sufficiency in the
economy and self-reliance in defence. The attitude to science and
technology is precisely the attitude to the revolution, and neglecting
science and technology is as good as giving up the revolution.

Party organizations must help all officials to have a proper
attitude towards science and technology, and render active
assistance to scientific research from the standpoint of taking full
responsibility for it, not from the objective standpoint. Scientific

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research institutes are organs producing spiritual and cultural
wealth, while scientists and technicians are members of the
working class engaged in mental work. Party organizations must
not mobilize the scientists and technicians for work irrelevant to
scientific research, regarding research _ institutes as
non-productive bodies, and ensure that they are fully provided
with time and other conditions for their research as well as their
living conditions. They must step up educational work among
senior officials and ensure that they have a proper attitude
towards science and technology, while at the same time
launching a fierce ideological struggle against such defects as
ignoring or disregarding science and technology.

We must stimulate public interest in science and technology.
To develop science and technology is an undertaking not only for
the masses themselves but an undertaking of each person, and
which can be successful only when it involves the broad masses
in it. Party organizations must instil into the minds of all Party
members and other working people the importance and
significance of the development of science and technology, so
that they launch a vigorous mass technical innovation campaign.
Besides, they must positively give social prominence and
preferential treatment to scientists and technicians, so as to
prompt social interest in science and technology all the more.

Our scientists and technicians are now faced with a heavy yet
honourable task to develop the national science and technology to
the world level. The Party’s trust in and expectations from them
are great indeed.

I firmly believe that all our country’s scientists and
technicians will do their best to make a revolution in science and
technology with unfailing loyalty to the Party and the leader,
thereby scaling a new and higher peak of science and technology
without fail.

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