Kim Jong-un inspects sports equipment factory

SEOUL, June 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a recently completed sports equipment factory in Pyongyang which has been dedicated to providing a firm foundation for the country's sports development, state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday.

During his visit to the Pyongyang Sports Apparatus Factory, Kim said the factory has established a strict system for quality control to guarantee that the goods produced keep with international standards.

The leader said the factory is fully equipped with modern equipment and, by using the latest IT technology, is producing many kinds of sporting goods.

The news agency said that Kim called upon the officials and employees at the factory to make an effort the help the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) build the country into a sports powerhouse.

Noting that the factory completion has made it possible to provide athletes and the general public with locally made, quality sports goods, Kim stressed the need to produce equipment that can help not only professional sports but popularize sports that can be enjoyed by ordinary people, the KCNA reported.

According to the KCNA report, Kim personally initiated the reconstruction of the Pyongyang Sports Goods Factory founded in April 1959, which was renamed the Pyongyang Sports Apparatus Factory in January this year.

Kim was accompanied by Choe Ryong-hae and O Su-yong, two vice-chairmen of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).
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