North Korea has embarked on a new project to modernize its capital, Pyongyang, after leader Kim Jong-un pledged to turn Pyongyang into a global city during last month's ruling party congress, according to state media Wednesday. An exhibition of construction equipment and an event to deploy related vehicles were held a day earlier for the fifth-stage construction project in Pyongyang's Hwasong district, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The Hwasong district is a newly refurbished housing area where a total of 40,000 housing units were built through four consecutive construction projects under Kim's guidance from 2022 to 2025. The fifth-stage construction was launched last month, attended by Kim, and at a subsequent ruling party congress, the leader ordered the city to be developed into a model administrative unit with perfect political, economic and cultural functions. Kim also said relevant projects should be pursued continuously to turn Pyongyang into a "great city equipped with the traits of a global city." Choson Sinbo, a pro-North Korea newspaper based in Japan, said in a re