Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has made frequent public appearances this week amid rising tension with the United States over the latter's threat to take military action against Pyongyang.
Kim attended an inaugural ceremony of Ryomyong Street, a new residential street for scientists, in downtown Pyongyang Thursday morning. He did not make any speech at the ceremony to open the street, which has many modern and chic high-rise residential condominiums.
The event drew over 100 foreign journalists that have come to cover celebrations of the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, late top leader and founding father of the country. The day has also been known as "Festival of the Sun" here.
Kim is expected to review military parades and watch mass celebrations and dancing in central Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square on Saturday, on which the birthday of his late grandfather falls.
Kim has also guided this week a military drill by special forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA), or "Dropping and Target-striking Contest of KPA Special Operation Forces 2017" as reported by Korean Central News Agency Thursday.
He watched KPA special combatants being dropped from light transport planes.
On Tuesday, Kim attended a full session of the DPRK parliament, or Supreme People's Assembly, and listened to a government report on economic development and budget performance.
The DPRK has accused the United States of planning to stage special operations to behead its supreme leadership and destroy the strategic nuclear and missile bases of the KPA.
The United States has sent a nuclear aircraft carrier task group to the waters off Korean Peninsula in what it called a "reaction to provocations" by DPRK's recent missile tests.
