North Korea restarts construction on Mount Paektu railroad

SEOUL, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- North Korea is resuming construction on a railroad being built to boost tourism to Mount Paektu, also known as "the sacred mountain of the revolution."

Construction had been suspended due to a shortage of railroad material, but is recently picking up owing to the availability of key components imported from China, Radio Free Asia reported Thursday.

A source in North Korea told RFA the country's Paektusan Hero Youth Shock Brigade was initially mobilized for the fall harvest, but returned to the railroad construction site ahead of the anniversary of the founding of the Korean Workers' Party on Oct. 10.

On Thursday they were preparing to start work on the railroad.

"Concrete railroad ties were brought in to replace the wooden rectangular support for the rails," the source said, adding, "Cadres of the shock brigade were pushing the youth group to complete the laying of the tracks, and the establishment of a power supply, before steel material were brought in."

The source also said he had heard from local cadres the new rail material had come through customs check at the North Korean city of Sinuiju and Musan County.

Kim Jong Un had ordered the completion of the railroad at the Seventh Party Congress in May, but the work was suspended due to the lack of resources, according to RFA.

North Korea recognizes Mount Paektu as the official birthplace of former leader Kim Jong Il, and the Kim family is idolized for being members of the "sacred Paektu bloodline."