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North Korean leader Kim Jong-il attended a celebratory rally to mark the reopening of the February 8th Vinalon Complex in Hamhung on Saturday. It is an unprecedented event for Kim to head to the provinces to attend an economy-related rally. The visit is being interpreted as a demonstration of the great significance given to the factory’s reopening, considered a major accomplishment of Kim’s father, Kim Il-sung, but which virtually closed down the first year Kim ascended to power in 1994.

Kim waved a gloved right hand at the roughly 100 thousand Hamhung residents who assembled for the rally and appeared quite lively, giving enthusiastic applause. Almost all high-ranking members of North Korean leadership attended the event, including Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly Kim Young-nam, Defense Minister Kim Young-chun and Korean Workers‘ Party secretaries Kim Ki-nam and Choi Tae-bok.

Prior to this event, Kim had attended only political events such as diplomatic rallies to welcome important foreign visitors and military parades to mark major anniversaries such as the foundation days of the Korean People’s Army or the Korean Workers’ Party. This extraordinary decision to attend a provincial rally is interpreted as linked to Kim’s economic-centered policies, which he has stressed more this year. One can also read an intention to settle down pubic sentiment, which grew chaotic after North Koreas currency reform enacted on Nov. 30, by showing Kim concentrating on bettering the lives of the people. Moreover, some interpret this as a proud display of the fact that Kim has finally succeeded in completing his late father’s teachings.

Vinalon, a synthetic fiber made from carbide extracted from limestone and anthracite, was called Juche fiber and touted as a symbol of the solution to the clothing problem while Kim Il-sung was in office. However, the February 8th Vinalon Complex, established in 1961 and capable of producing 50 thousand tons of the fiber, virtually shut down due to fuel shortages in 1994, when the younger Kim took power after his father’s death. According to North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper, Kim, in visiting the factory that has resumed production following a two-year renovation, grew teary-eyed, saying he was very happy and that his father would have been greatly pleased.

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