North Korea showcases Western-style beer pub, firework store in Pyongyang

North Korea has showcased a Western-style beer pub and other various modern facilities in its so-called new town district of Pyongyang.

According to photos and an article released by the Choson Sinbo, a pro-North Korean newspaper based in Japan, the new district features a pub, a fireworks store and several large-scale restaurants along two major streets, reported Yonhap news agency.

In 2021, North Korea unveiled an ambitious plan to build 10,000 new apartments every year, for a total of 50,000, as part of its new town project. The second phase of the project was completed this year.

The pub, located on Rimhung Street in the centre of the Hwasong district, in the northeastern part of the capital, has a Western-style ambience, complete with an outdoor terrace, according to the newspaper's description.

Another popular spot in the district is the fireworks store, which sells over 30 types of fireworks.

In May, North Korea's state-run Korean Central TV showed footage of fireworks shaped like the Hwasong-17, North Korea's largest intercontinental ballistic missile, displayed on the store's shelves.

However, the newspaper did not provide any details about the interiors of the newly built apartments.

Meanwhile, in a significant development, North Korea has decided to hold a key parliamentary meeting next month to mainly amend the country's constitution, state media reported Monday, after its leader Kim Jong-un called for the constitutional revision to define South Korea as its primary foe.

The 11th Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) will be convened in Pyongyang on October 7, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

In a SPA meeting in January, the North's leader called for revising the constitution to define South Korea as its "invariable principal enemy" and codify the commitment to "completely occupying" the South Korean territory in the event of war. Kim issued an order to review the constitutional revision in a way that removes unification-related clauses and newly stipulates the country's territorial boundaries, including the maritime border.