Kim is building a new skyscraper district in Pyongyang

Pyongyang - The skyline of the North Korean capital Pyongyang is set to change with a number of skyscrapers ordered to be built by President Kim Jong-un. As with similar megalomaniacal projects in the past, the work has been taken up by soldiers from the large North Korean army since March, who are expected to complete the construction by the end of the year, according to the AP agency.

At the beginning of May, Pyongyang launched a mass campaign called the 200-Day Battle, aimed at increasing productivity and initiating a new five-year plan. Kim presented the economic plan at a congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, which was held for the first time in 36 years this past May.

Recently, a district dedicated to scientists was completed in the capital, which includes high-rise residential buildings, office complexes, and parks along the riverbank. The "scientific" district is in a way a symbol of defiance against international criticism aimed at North Korea's nuclear program. The central building of the scientific and technological center is shaped to resemble a typical depiction of an atom from a bird's eye view. Above the entrance to the main street of this district towers a metallic structure of an atom, and neon atoms glow at night along the sides of the two largest buildings.

On another new street being built in Pyongyang, called Ryomyong, the tallest residential building in North Korea, which will have 70 floors, is set to rise. There will also be a skyscraper with 50 floors and several others with 30 to 40 stories. The street is reportedly expected to provide more than 3,000 apartments, which will be air-conditioned, and it will also include a nursery, kindergarten, laundry, post office, and other services for residents.

"The aim of the project is to show that despite all the sanctions and pressure from American imperialists and their followers, the DPRK can prosper and nothing is impossible for it," Kim stated.

The leader of the DPRK ordered that the constructions be eco-friendly, so lighting and heating will utilize solar panels and geothermal energy. Greenhouses will be placed on the roofs of the buildings.

In addition to the proclaimed intention for the buildings to be modern, there is also a practical aspect to these technologies - power outages are a long-standing problem in North Korea, notes the AP agency. Pyongyang has more reliable power supplies than any other North Korean city, but solar panels on the balconies of apartments have become common in the capital and elsewhere.

Kim's late father, Kim Jong-il, also had a fondness for gigantic buildings. The construction of one of them, the pyramid-shaped 105-story Ryugyong Hotel, was accompanied by many problems and it has not yet been completed even after decades of construction.

Also part of the legacy from the Kim Jong-il era is an impressive district of high-rise buildings located near Kim Il-sung Square, which, thanks to fashionable restaurants and luxury shopping centers featuring branded goods, is nicknamed "little Dubai" or Pyonghattan. It was completed after Kim Jong-il's death in 2012.