Building spree speeds up ahead of anniversary

SAMJIYON, North Korea — Thousands of North Korean “soldier-builders” in olive green uniforms and bright red hardhats are doing everything from digging ditches to putting up walls on multistory apartment blocks and government buildings in this northern city near the Chinese border.

Samjiyon is one of the main focuses of a massive nationwide construction campaign ahead of North Korea’s 70th anniversary in what leader Kim Jong Un has described as a symbolic battle against anyone who would oppose his country.

The Sept. 9 anniversary is shaping up to be the biggest event since Kim assumed power in late 2011. Along with huge rallies in Pyongyang on the day itself and the revival of North Korea’s trademark mass games at the stadium, Kim has deployed soldiers and ordinary citizens alike to erect buildings, improve roads and work on other infrastructure on a scale unseen in recent years.

The construction spree is intended to improve living conditions in keeping with one of Kim’s first promises to the nation, that he would bolster the economy so they would no longer need to “tighten their belts.” But it is also a demonstration of the power of his regime in the face of U.S.-backed international sanctions intended to squeeze his economy and force him to abandon his nuclear weapons.

Kim made that political message clear during a visit to Samjiyon with his wife last week, when he was quoted by state media as saying “the hostile forces’ persistent sanctions and obstructive moves” have come as a serious setback, but added the North Korean people have risen to the challenge and are “making a history of legendary miracles despite the most difficult conditions.”

Kim said that by “showily” building up Samjiyon, the nation is in effect fighting a symbolic battle against those who would try to stifle its “socialist civilization.”

Samjiyon lies at the foot of Mount Paektu, which is closely linked to the Kim family and is considered the spiritual center of the North Korean revolution.

Steamrollers and other heavy equipment are rare, so roadwork is particularly labor-intensive. Work crews fill potholes with shovelfuls of dirt and flatten surfaces with wooden tools.

In the meantime, scenes of Kim giving his on-the-spot guidance to senior officials feverishly taking down his every word in their notebooks has dominated the TV news.