Flurry of activity by N. Korean leader Kim in northern city of Manpho

SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, recovering from a
stroke he suffered last year, visited the country's northern city of Manpho where
he provided field guidance at various places, from a tire factory to a
restaurant, the North's state media reported Sunday.
The trip began with a visit to a smeltery in the city just south of the North
Korea-China border, according to the report by the Korean Central News Agency
(KCNA).
"He (Kim) repeatedly made a high appreciation of the achievements of the
officials, workers and technicians of the smelter, saying that they have done a
lot of work in all aspects including supply service and the creation of a
hygienic and cultured environment, to say nothing of production, in a few years,"
it said.
The report did not provide any specific details of the trip, including when it
was taken or how long it lasted.
Unlike his other trips where he usually inspects only one or two places, the
visit to Manpho, Jagang Province, included stops in at least three other places,
according to the KCNA report.
Kim's next stop was made at a tire factory where he met with two workers, whom he
had met during his last visit there 11 years ago.
"(Kim) highly praised them for such patriotic devotion as having worked with all
their wisdom and enthusiasm for the prosperity of the country for decades," it
said.
He then borrowed a famous line from Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers when he
called for collectivism of "one for all and all for one" during his short stop at
a spinning mill.
"He called on the workers of the mill to creditably fulfill their duty and thus
contribute to the building of a rich and powerful nation and indicated the tasks
and ways to do so," said the report.
His next stop came at a restaurant where he was quoted as saying, "Nothing is
more honorable and worthwhile than to serve the people."
The report said the North Korean leader was accompanied by Pak To-chun, chief
secretary of the Jagang Provincial Committee of the Workers' Party, and Kim
Ki-nam, secretary of the Central Committee of the party.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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