DPRK's History of Self-reliance (15)

Pyongyang, June 24 (KCNA) -- In the DPRK, the first tractor was produced in Juche 47 (1958).

At that time, the country had no machine industry capable of producing tractor due to the war (June 25, 1950-July 27, 1953). And its farm villages, where the socialist cooperativization was completed, badly needed more advanced farm machines.

Under such situation, President Kim Il Sung visited the then Kiyang Machine Factory in October 1958 to assign it to a task of making tractors. He told its workers and technicians that import hinders the technical development and it would be great progress in the country's technical revolution to make tractor by our own efforts.

They had neither technology and experience nor any professional machine and design, but devoted all their efforts and wisdom to the production of the first tractor, dismantling the imported tractor to design accessories. At last, they completed the first tractor in over 30 days. When the tractor left for Pyongyang, many people shouted "Long Live the Workers' Party of Korea!".

The President examined the first tractor with satisfaction on November 14 that year and gave thanks in the name of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Cabinet to the workers, technicians and officials of the factory. And he personally named the tractor "Chollima" in reflection of the spirit of the Korean people charging at the speed of Chollima (a legendary winged horse running 400kms a day).

One year later since the production of the first trial tractor, they manufactured 3 000 tractors.

The first "Chollima" tractor implants in the minds of rising generation the truth that the people working in the spirit of self-reliance under the guidance of the great Party always perform such miracle as turning impossible into possible. -0-