On July 3, 2003 Kim Jong Il visited a power station under construction on the Jangja River.
Learning about the construction project, he was satisfied that another smart power station was being built in Kanggye, Jagang Province.
He said, “Looking round the construction site of the power station, I can see that great progress has been made in the project. Building work is being done excellently. The members of the youth shock brigade and other builders have achieved a lot.”
An official of the provincial Party committee gave him a detailed account of the power stations that had already been built, were being built and would be built, as well as their names.
Studying their locations on the panoramic map, the General said: It would be better to attach numbers to the names of the power stations that are being built in tiers below the Hungju Youth Power Station. The names Uijin Power Station and Hanam Power Station are confusing. They should be named Hungju Power Station No. 1 and Hungju Power Station No. 2, and the numbers should indicate the order in which they will be completed.
The officials were very delighted at this idea, repeating the names to themselves. The names were both simple and easy to remember.
Unexpectedly, an official of the youth league committee of the province said to the General, “Previously, you renamed Hungju Power Station Hungju Youth Power Station. Would you please name the Uijin Power Station after youth?”
At this somewhat childish request Kim Jong Il gave a hearty laugh, joking that he must be afraid of “losing” the word youth. The officials joined the laughter.
Pleased with the young man’s mettle and courage, the General accepted his request and said:
“The Hungju Youth Power Station was built first and, after completing this Uijin Power Station, it should be named Hungju Youth Power Station No. 2. The young people in the province are building this power station in the same spirit as they displayed in building the Hungju Youth Power Station during the Arduous March and forced march. So it is good to name it after youth.”
