NK paper highlights 'Pyongyang Time' spirit of building house in just 14 minutes

North Korea's official newspaper on Thursday lauded elite party members dispatched for reconstruction work in typhoon-hit areas for speedy recovery work, claiming party members in the capital city used to assemble a house in just 14 minutes in the wake of the Korean War.

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper said the elite members of the ruling Workers' Party have been speedily rebuilding typhoon-devastated areas in line with the spirit of "creating everything according to the Pyongyang Time."

"Pyongyang time" refers to an eponymous North Korean novel published in 1976 featuring what the North claims to be a real story about rebuilding 20,000 houses in Pyongyang in a short period of time that would have been enough for only 7,000 houses in the wake of the 1950-53 Korean War.

"With the spirit of creating everything based on the Pyongyang time, our capital party members used to take the lead in a struggle to create an astounding Pyongyang speed by building a house every 14 minutes," the paper said.

"Today's Pyongyang time continues miraculously day and night in order to mark the 75th party founding anniversary in a more meaningful and genuine manner with the belief that no natural disasters and huge catastrophes can take away smiles from our people," it added.

Thousands of elite party members in Pyongyang were sent to the North's western and eastern provinces hard hit by recent typhoons to help with their recovery efforts at the order of leader Kim Jong-un.

State media have highlighted their efforts as the country is pushing to complete major recovery work before its party founding anniversary on Oct. 10.

Leader Kim earlier called for all-out efforts to recover from the damage so that the country can mark the upcoming anniversary of the party's founding "with proud of achievement. (Yonhap)