North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has attended a ceremony to mark the completion of a major housing project in the capital Pyongyang.

North Korea's ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on Tuesday that Kim celebrated the completion of 10,000 housing units, including an 80-story building.

Photos accompanying the article show a smiling Kim cutting the ceremonial tape and waving to a crowd.

The project commemorates the 110th anniversary on April 15 of the birth of the nation's founder Kim Il Sung, the current leader's grandfather.

The newspaper describes the project as a monument of the leader's love for his people, and a display of the country's independent economic potential.

Kim Jong Un on Monday marked a decade in the ruling Workers' Party's top post.

Observers say he is eager to strengthen his power by showcasing his efforts to improve people's lives, as the country's economy struggles with prolonged sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic.

Attention is focused on whether North Korea would fire another ballistic missile or conduct its seventh nuclear test to mark the anniversary of its founder's birth.