North Korean leader Kim Jong-un issued an appeal to the military and citizens to complete the construction of a ski resort within this year and called on them to join the country's economic development efforts, state media said Wednesday.
It marks Kim's first appeal for economic construction efforts since he took power in December 2011. The North has repeatedly stressed its policy line of seeking both economic construction and nuclear arms development since the beginning of this year.
The North is building a ski resort near the 768-meter-high Masik mountain pass, or Masikryong, near the eastern coastal city of Wonsan. Previous reports said the country is moving to build an airport near the city as part of efforts to promote the area as a tourism-oriented region.
"The (governing) Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) remains unchanged in its resolution to build a world-class skiing ground within this year and provide the people and school youth and children with a highly civilized and happy living conditions to enable them enjoy all blessings," said the appeal carried by the (North) Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The leader said he has the belief that "the soldier-builders would wind up the construction of the skiing ground within this year," stressing that they should be equipped with what Kim called "Masikryong Speed" to charge speedily ahead with the construction plan, according to the KCNA English dispatch.
North Korean citizens should also learn from the military's striving to finish the construction, Kim's appeal said, urging them to join the country's economic construction ambitions.
"It is the intention and resolution of the WPK to raise a hot-wind of great innovations and upswing throughout the country by letting all people learn from the indomitable fighting spirit and work style being displayed by the soldiers in the construction of the skiing ground," the KCNA quoted Kim as saying.
"He called on all the people including workers, farmers and intellectuals to further re-energize all the economic sectors of the country and positively contribute to implementing national economy plan by fully implementing the WPK's line on simultaneously pushing forward economic construction and the building of nuclear force," according to the KCNA.