Crime of Japan, Sworn Enemy of Korean Nation

Pyongyang, July 19 (KCNA) -- The Japanese imperialists, who illegally occupied Korea in last century, committed all sorts of vicious crimes to prevent the Korean people from building a new country before their defeat.

Among them is the crime of deliberately destroying the industrial establishments in Korea.

The Japanese imperialists completely destroyed tens of major equipment and converters, including more than ten compressors at the then Hungnam Fertilizer Factory.

They pulled down 19 hydroelectric power stations and exploded power and transformer facilities at various power stations.

They submerged or destroyed 164 coal mines including Kowon Coal Mine and 178 mines including Unryul Mine. They also mercilessly destroyed railway factories, tunnels, railways, locomotives and wagons.

A typical example is that they drove a train carrying blasting powder into a tunnel of Saenggi Hill in Kyongsong County, North Hamgyong Province and exploded it and throw into the sea all the machinery and equipment of the then Rajin Railway Factory.

They took away all the available vehicles when they run away.

Soon after the liberation of the country on August 15, 1945, there was no vehicle and facilities in the railway sector, and the railway operation came to standstill.

Such situation of railway transport, which accounted for over 90 per cent of the total passenger and freight transport, seriously hindered our people’s struggle for building a new society and the overall development of the national economy.

The Korean people can not rehabilitate the destroyed factories and enterprises because of the shortage of transport and operate the factories owing to the failure of the transport of raw and other fuel and other materials to the production places in time.

The Japanese imperialists thoroughly destroyed water transport facilities.

At the time of their defeat, they buried 70 machine ships amounting to 99 000 tons at sea in various ports and destroyed facilities including Chongjin and Rajin ports and small ferry facilities used in river transport.

The destruction of the industrial establishments in Korea is a hideous criminal act to prevent the Korean people from using them as an economic basis for political independence and as material means for creating a new life and improving their well-being after the liberation of the country. -0-