Ch'ŏnji Lubricant Factory
| Ch'ŏnji Lubricant Factory | |
|---|---|
| Operated | 1997–present |
| Location | Hanggu-guyŏk, Namp'o, North Korea |
| Coordinates | 38°45′15″N 125°24′53″E / 38.75417°N 125.41472°E |
| Industry | Lubricant manufacturing |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 천지윤활유공장 |
| RR | Cheonji yunhwaryu gongjang |
| MR | Ch'ŏnji yunhwaryu kongjang |
The Ch'ŏnji Lubricant Factory (Korean: 천지윤활유공장), located in Hanggu-guyŏk, Namp'o, North Korea, is a factory producing various lubricating oils, greases, and transformer oils.
History
The Ch'ŏnji Lubricant Factory was established in 1997,[1] and is the oldest North Korean lubricant factory.[2] It was previously known as the Seungri Lubricant Factory and it was affiliated with the Seungri Trading Company, a company formerly controlled by Jang Song-thaek. It was renamed to the Ch'ŏnji Lubricant Factory because it produced a lubricant product called Ch'ŏnji.[3] The factory makes use of automated production,[4] and the processing equipment in the factory was invested from a French company.[3]
On 5 August 2014, Kim Jong Un visited the factory, proclaiming the factory's products to be "as good as the imported ones". He stressed that the products of the factory must continue to be developed to remain competitive in the international market.[5] A press photograph from Kim's visit to the factory depicting him smiling at a vat of lubricant became a source of mockery in United States media. The photograph was ridiculed by Stephen Colbert on his show The Colbert Report[6][7] and it became an Internet meme.[8] HuffPost and NBC News both noted that Kim appeared to be "amused" by the lube.[9][10]
In June 2024, the factory was investigated by the Namp'o city prosecutors' office for corruption and safety violations to prepare it for an intensified workload as part of a national industrial revitalization policy.[11] The investigation uncovered that safety violations had resulted in multiple fires and that employees regularly stole products and covered for each other. The prosecutors' office denounced the factory as a "den of thieves", and about 20 employees were evaluated for potential dismissal.[12] Two onsite executives were dismissed and replaced due to being lenient towards employees that they had personal relations with.[11] The city government closely monitored the factory for several months as restructuring took place and stated that dismissed workers were to be replaced with young graduates from vocational schools, who would undergo rigorous training.[12]
References
- ^ "北, 천지윤활유공장 연일 선전…"과학화 본보기"" [North Korea, Cheonji Lubricant Factory Propaganda Every Day..."A Scientific Model"]. yna.ko.kr (in Korean). 2014-08-11.
- ^ '북 남포천지화학공장의 목표, 세계적 경쟁력의 고품질 윤활유 생산' ['The goal of North Nampo Cheonji Chemical Plant, production of high-quality lubricants with global competitiveness']. Tongil News (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2025-01-19. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
- ^ a b 북한 김정은, 천지윤활유공장 시찰 [North Korea's Kim Jong-un inspects Cheonji lubricant factory]. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). 2014-08-05. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
- ^ "北김정은, 천지윤활유공장 시찰…"국제경쟁력 갖춰야"" [North Korea's Kim Jong-un inspects Cheonji lubricant factory..."We must have international competitiveness"]. Seoul Shinmun (in Korean). 2014-08-05. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
- ^ "Kim Jong Eun Visits Chonji Lubricant Factory". Daily NK. 5 August 2014. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ Chalfant, Morgan (2014-08-07). "[WATCH] Stephen Colbert makes fun of Kim Jong Un's photo op at the lube factory". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
- ^ "Stephen Colbert mocks Kim Jong Un's giddiness over North Korean lube". The Week. 2014-08-07. Archived from the original on 2025-05-15. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
- ^ "Kim Jong-un Visits Lube Factory And A New Meme Is Born". Voomed. Archived from the original on 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2025-08-17.
- ^ "Kim Jong Un Is Super Proud Of North Korea's Lube". HuffPost. 2014-08-05. Archived from the original on 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
- ^ "Kim Jong Un Amused by Lubricant at North Korea Factory". NBC News. 2014-08-06. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
- ^ a b 남포시 천지윤할유공장 집중 생산 앞서 보름여 간 검열 받아 [Nampo City's Cheonji Yoon Oil Factory was inspected for more than half a month before intensive production]. woorion.org (in Korean).
- ^ a b "Corruption exposed at North Korean lubricant factory". Daily NK. 2024-07-16. Archived from the original on 2025-03-16. Retrieved 2025-08-17.