A “70 day speed campaign” had been in effect until last week, with the Pyongyang-wide morning alarm going off at 5 a.m. instead of the usual 6 a.m. to rouse everyone from ministry officials to laborers and get them preparing the city for the congress. Residents and recent visitors say that buildings have been painted, roads have been marked, lawns have been manicured. One described the activity as “frantic.”
Clearly, this is a big deal for the regime. Here’s why.