Workers’ Party of Korea’s Method of Calculation

One April day in Juche 68 (1979) a meeting related with building a yeast producing factory was held.

Many participants expressed their opinions that the project should be postponed.

At that time, investing the precious funds in building the factory, which was only aimed at consumption, was not appropriate in terms of cost-effectiveness.

Listening their opinions, Chairman Kim Jong Il said: It is a matter of course to calculate cost-effectiveness if we are to build a factory. I don’t oppose economic calculation. There’s a time when we have to make an economic calculation, but we must refrain from doing so at any time. If we do so, we can do nothing for the good of the people. People often say that one must not do a losing deal, but we have to do that if it is for the good of the people. We should provide the people with a happy life even though it might mean emptying the state coffer. This is my way of doing arithmetic and our Party’s way of calculation.

Wherever he went, he would feel most pleased when he saw the people leading a bountiful life.

One May day in Juche 67 (1978), when he saw the illuminations around the fountain park near the Mansudae Art Theatre, he instructed that the illuminations should be brighter so that the people could pose for a photo even at night. One day in Juche 76 (1987), while looking round the Pyongyang Underground Shop before its opening, he said that the shop was built to provide the people with a richer life of people, pointing out the displaying of goods only with the aim of sustaining the prestige of the shop in disregard of the seasonal demands for them.

It was his consistent and absolute principle to do one more thing for the people, and more splendidly, in conformity to the people’s aspirations and demands.