Seoul, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for stronger efforts to overcome difficulties and challenges facing the country as he opened an important political meeting after carrying out a number of historic missile tests. record this year.
A plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party was convened in Pyongyang on Monday to review past projects and discuss work plans for next year, the official Central News Agency of the country said. North Korea said on Tuesday.
Some experts say Kim will likely use the meeting to reaffirm his determination to expand his nuclear arsenal and introduce high-tech weapons aimed at the United States and South Korea, while offering projects to restore public livelihoods are being ravaged by the pandemic.
In his opening remarks, Mr Kim compared the difficulties and challenges since the larger party meeting in early 2021 to the “ten-year struggle of the revolution”. However, he claimed that North Korea had achieved some success “in the course of hardship” and that his country’s strength had increased “significantly” in the political, military, and economic fields. and culture.
“He stressed the need to draw up strategies to launch more interesting and confident struggles based on the valuable facts that the country has made practical strides after overcoming all difficulties,” the official Korean Central News Agency said. launched this year and clarify the “strategic and tactical” tasks to achieve North Korean-style socialism.
KCNA did not detail Kim’s claimed achievement and the tasks he set, and his claim of achievement could not be independently verified.
Some observers have suggested that Kim may need such propaganda statements to garner more public loyalty in order to advance difficult projects to bolster his arsenal and disarm. deal with economic problems in the face of US-led sanctions and pressure campaigns to rein in its nuclear ambitions.
The Labor Party meeting is expected to last several days and Mr Kim is likely to address issues such as armament strengthening, relations with the US and the economy in later sessions.
This year, Kim’s military test launched a record number of missiles, many capable of carrying nuclear warheads capable of reaching the US mainland and allies South Korea and Japan. He said he would not return to negotiations with the United States unless it withdrew its hostile policies, apparently alluding to US-led sanctions and regular military exercises. America’s relationship with Korea.
On Monday, hostilities on the Korean Peninsula increased after South Korea accused North Korea of flying a drone over its tense border for the first time in five years and responded by firing warning shots. and scramble for fighters.
It is unknown if any North Korean drones were shot down.
South Korea says it has also sent its own surveillance devices, ostensibly referring to drones, across the border.
