With more than 100,000 people gathered in a huge rally to mark the event, Kim stood front and center on a red-carpeted stage to cut the ribbon. The event was part of the run-up to the 105th anniversary of the birth of national founder Kim Il Sung, which falls on Saturday and is North Korea's most important holiday. Tension in the region have risen with the dispatch of a U.S. aircraft carrier to the area and the deployment of thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops, tanks and other weaponry for their biggest-ever joint military exercises. The most recent previous example is another new street, Mirae Street, which was built in time for the 65th anniversary in 2015 of the founding of North Korea's ruling Worker's Party. But North Korean Premier Pak Pong Ju said the project "incorporates the latest architectural science and technology, including solar and geothermal technology, and the greening of roofs and walls."

Source: ABC News April 13, 2017 08:51 UTC