North Korea's Kim Jong Un praises army for rebuilding typhoon-hit area: Report

North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un praised his military for its “heroic” efforts to rebuild towns and villages hit by typhoon and floods, said state media on September 15. According to KNCA, Kim inspected the recovery and reconstruction work in Taechong-ri and Kangbuk-ri in North Hwanghae Province.

The North Korean province was greatly damaged by the typhoon but the military removed all the traces of the natural disaster and successfully rebuilt it as a “socialist fairyland”, said KCNA. Kim has been on a series of visits to heavily impacted areas, issuing orders to military and party members to help communities recover.

“Kim Jong Un, looking over the picturesque village that turned into a fine example of socialist farm village, wondered if the village which looked so pitiful for its backwardness plus damage by natural disaster could shake them off in such a short period,” said KCNA.

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Military parade in October

Kim’s visits come at a time when hundreds of vehicles and thousands of troops in North Korea have been gathering to rehearse for a major military parade. The ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) was founded on October 10, 1945, and North Korean troops are preparing for a military parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the party.

A US-based think tank released satellite imagery which provided the first evidence that rehearsals are underway despite coronavirus restrictions. The Mirim facility has regularly been used as a rehearsal location for parades but the rehearsals, according to 38 North, started slightly later when compared to previous years, possibly because of COVID-19 measures and weather constraints.

“In 2017, for instance, preparations were observed about two months ahead of the April 15 parade while in 2015, the first signs of preparations for the October 10 parade were observed in May,” said the think tank.

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