Purged North Korean architect accompanied Kim Jong Un

SEOUL, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- North Korean state media said the architect believed to have been purged for his supervision of airport construction last November accompanied Kim Jong Un on his visit to the flood-hit city of Rason.

Pyongyang's media outlet KCNA initially did not air footage of Ma Won Chun but stated the North Korean architect was part of an entourage that traveled to areas where flood recovery has been taking place, Yonhap reported.

Others who reportedly accompanied Kim included top officials Hwang Pyong So and Kim Yang Gon. Both were key negotiators with South Korea when tensions escalated at the border late August.

"The revered comrade Kim Jong Un, in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of our Workers' Party, traveled swiftly over air, land and water to visit the miraculous Sonkyong Village, in Baekhakdong, of the Sonbong district of Rason to bequeath a hearth of happiness to his beloved people," KCNA said in statement.

North Korea had said on Tuesday the People's Army had completed work on 1,800 homes in the flood-affected zones, and that another 2,700 homes were repaired in 10 days.

During his visit, Kim said he had to tour the area in order to "rest his mind."

"Coming here today, I traveled with light-footed steps," he said, according to KCNA.

The North Korean leader praised soldiers for putting their heart into the recovery and said they worked with the kind of dedication they would have shown if they were restoring their own hometowns.

North Korea's announcement of Ma's return to official duties, however, has been the greatest source of surprise. South Korean outlet Newsis reported that Seoul's spy agency had previously said Ma and his family were purged to a re-education camp on a farm in Yanggang province. In September, an unnamed source told Radio Free Asia a story that Ma may have died was actively circulating among officers.

The source, based in China, had said Ma died of a heart attack when summoned by Kim.