NORTH KOREA COMPLETES FIRST SYNTHETIC FIBER PLANT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T01003A001100020001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 15, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 19, 1961
• Content Type: BRIEF

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CIA/RR-CB-61-35 C-O-N-F- I-D-E-N-T- I-A-L
Copy No. -
19 June 1961
CURRENT SUPPORT BRIEF
NORTH KOREA COMPLETES FIRST SYNTHETIC FIBER PLANT
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND REPORTS
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This report represents the immediate views of the
originating intelligence components of the Office
of Research and Reports. Comments are solicited.
W-A-R-N-I-N-G
This document contains information affecting the national defense of
the United States, within the meaning of the espionage laws, Title 18
USC, Sections 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which
in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
C -O-N-F- I-D-E-N-T- I-A.-L
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NORTH KOREA COMPLETES FIRST SYNTHETIC FIBER PLANT
The North Korean regime has announced the completion on 6 May
1961 of North Korea's first synthetic fiber plant. 1/ The plant,
which is located at Pongung, a town between Hamhung and Hungnam, is
part of an ambitious program to expand the production of chemical
fibers* in North Korea and to reduce the dependence of the growing
textile industry on foreign sources of raw materials. The fiber
to be produced at Pongung is Vinal.on, an unusual fiber currently
being produced on a commercial scale in only one other country,
Japan.
Vinalon, which is made from polyvinyl alcohol,, was developed
by a North Korean chemist named Yi Sung-ki in collaboration with
Japanese chemists at Kyoto University.** Yi evently directed the
technical work necessary to make the commercial production of
this fiber possible in North Korea. 2/ Vinalon is unique among
synthetic fibers in that its water absorbency is high. For this
reason it is a good substitute for cotton in certain applications
such as underclothes and sheets. However, its wet-heat resistance
is low, making ironing a problem. The Japanese began production
in 1951 and output reached 23,000 tons in 1960. In the interim,
the US and West Germany acquired licenses from Japan to produce
the material, but production has not yet gotten beyond the pilot
plant stage in these countries. Within the Bloc, the USSR re-
portedly is In the process of developing a similar fiber called
Vinol.
The production capacity of North Korea's new Vinalon plant,
presently about 10,000 tons, is to be expanded to 20,000 tons by
the beginning of 1962 and to 30,000 tons by the end of 1963. 3/
The planned expansion of this plant is a key factor in the over-
all plan to increase chemical fiber production in North Korea
from 15,000 tons in 1960 to 100,000 tons by 1965 or 1967.*** Pro-
duction of natural fibers in North Korea is limited by such fac-
tors as climate and the amount of arable land available. Augment-
ing the production of natural fibers with synthetic fibers will
reduce the dependence of the North Korean textile industry on
imports of cotton and cotton yarn. In 1960, the production of
15,000 tons of rayon reportedly satisfied about one-third of the
requirements of the textile industry for fibers. Textile produc-
tion from natural and synthetic fibers is scheduled to expand
from 190,000,000 meters of fabric in 1960 to 500,000,0.00 meters in
1967. 4/ If chemical fiber production in fact increases during
* Includes rayon (cellulosic) and synthetic fibers (non-cellulosic).
** Yi was on the staff of Kyoto University from 1932 to 1948.
*** Other synthetic fibers to be produced in North Korea include
Vichlon, a chlorinated polyvinyl chloride fiber, and fibers of
the US Dacron, Orlon, and nylon types. The initial production
of Vichlon is scheduled for mid-1962. Comparable information
is not available on the other fibers.
19 June 1961 CIA/RR-CB-61-35
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the same period from 15,000 to 100,000 tons, 5/ most of North Korea's
fiber requirements in 1967 could be satisfied from domestic produc-
tion. At the same time, per capita production of chemical fibers
in North Korea would exceed that in any other country of the Bloc
with the exception of East Germany.
19 June 1961 CIA/RR-CB-61-35
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Analyst
Coord
Sources
19 June 1961
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