Today when the country has entered the period of comprehensive development of socialism, areas, units and people honoured with the title of “top” are increasing in number.

Shortly ago, top 10 enterprises for 2024 were selected.

They included the Taean Heavy Machine Complex, the Samchong Mine of the Sangwon Cement Complex, the Pyongyang General Electric Cable Factory 326 and the Tanchon Smeltery. They introduced efficient business management methods while improving the level of modernization and quality of products by holding fast to science and technology and working hard to reach the national standard of environmental protection.

Top 10 agricultural counties and top 30 farms for 2024 were also selected amid the growing enthusiasm for scientific farming and high-yielding competition in the new era of rural development.

What is common in the work of these areas and units, which overfulfilled the national grain production plans and took a step forward in building the foundations for sustainable growth in agricultural production, is that they thoroughly applied the scientific farming-first principle and widely introduced advanced farming methods and at the same time helped and led one another forward to wage the collective innovation drive.

Intellectuals who contributed to the development of the national economy and improvement of the people’s living standards were selected as the best scientists and technicians of the country in 2024. Son Mun Ho, PhD, associate professor and head of an office of Kim Il Sung University, played a key role in developing an up-to-date analytical instrument, an integral whole of various advanced technologies monopolized by only a few countries.

Among the winners of best inventor award for 2024 is Kim Sang Chol, PhD, associate professor and section chief of the Academy of Agricultural Science. He wrote “Photo album of blights in grassland”, a book of national treasure value, and widely disseminated it to the field of scientific research and production units in the agricultural sector. And he developed and introduced several kinds of mixed herbicides and seed coating material, which help increase per-hectare grain production, thereby making a great contribution to the country’s agricultural development.

Top teachers, coaches and players in 2024 were also selected.

“Continuous innovation, steady advance, toward a higher goal”, this is the motto of all the winners of the “top” titles.

“I think it is just the beginning of my career. My step and our advance towards gold medals will be further accelerated”, said Choe Il Son, a football player of the April 25 Sports Team who was awarded the Golden Ball and Golden Boot after scoring six goals at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.