The Chonji Lubricant Factory. (Screen capture from Rodong Sinmun website)North Korea’s biggest companies are being forced to submit detailed progress reports on key economic projects as the country’s leadership tries to showcase achievements before an important political deadline.
The communist government has ordered its largest state-owned enterprises to document their progress on four major initiatives: digitizing operations, using more scientific methods, becoming self-sufficient, and modernizing equipment. Companies had three months to show results and were given until late August to submit their reports.
“The central government ordered the biggest companies in each province to report their progress on these four key tasks. After receiving these orders on the morning of Aug. 30, South Pyongan Province immediately passed them along to major enterprises throughout the region,” a source in South Pyongan Province told Daily NK recently.
The government focused on the largest companies because they’re considered the backbone of each province’s economy. Their results will be used to highlight the ruling party’s economic successes.
The pressure comes as North Korea approaches the final year of its current five-year economic plan, set by the ruling Workers’ Party at its Eighth Party Congress. The leadership appears determined to show that major companies are making progress on key modernization goals.
Government wants proof, not just promises
Unlike typical bureaucratic reports, the government is demanding concrete evidence of progress. Companies must provide measurable results, photographs from their facilities, and technical documentation to prove their claims.
“The government wants detailed reports showing exactly how much companies have digitized their operations, how they’ve applied scientific principles to production, their progress toward replacing old equipment with domestic alternatives, and how quickly they’re modernizing,” the source explained.
This focus on hard evidence suggests the leadership wants to verify that companies are actually making progress, not just filing paperwork.
After receiving the orders, major companies quickly began internal reviews. Some confidently submitted pre-prepared documents about equipment upgrades and modernization efforts. However, most companies worried about their poor performance due to unreliable electricity and shortages of materials needed for improvements.
While some businesses appear to be inflating their achievements, provincial officials are watching for such exaggeration. They’ve warned companies that these reports aren’t just administrative exercises but are meant to reveal actual performance levels.
The stakes feel high for company managers and provincial officials alike.
“Rumors that central government investigators might be sent to verify reports are making people nervous in South Pyongan province. Some provincial officials see this not just as a progress check, but as a final push from the central government to boost economic performance before the current political period ends,” the source said.
“Managers from the biggest companies are frantically gathering materials for their reports. But some workers are more skeptical, dismissing this as just another bureaucratic paperwork exercise,” the source added.
The situation reflects the broader pressure North Korean officials face to demonstrate economic progress under Kim Jong Un’s leadership, even when underlying challenges like power shortages and material scarcities continue to hamper industrial performance.