Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), recently paid an inspection visit to the Huichon Ryonha General Machinery Plant, the official news agency KCNA reported Tuesday.

According to the KCNA, Kim said the slogan "Push back the frontiers of science and technology!" was "a militant banner for dynamically pushing forward the process of placing the economy on a Juche-oriented, modern and scientific basis."

He underscored the need to powerfully push ahead with the modernization based on the latest science and technology in all sectors and at all units.

Noting it is necessary for the plant to continue steadily dashing ahead toward a higher eminence of science and technology, Kim stressed the need to continue paying deep attention to bringing the machine-tool industry to a higher stage.

He called on the workers of the plant to effect a great surge in the production of machine tools.