The first plenary session of the Workers’ Party of North Korea kicked off today with the presence of the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, to plan the regime’s foreign and economic policy for 2023.
“This meeting comes at a historic moment when the entire party, the entire country and the entire people are committed to waging a vigorous struggle in the new year 2023,” said North Korea’s official KCNA news agency.
The day before, the sixth plenary meeting of the eighth central commission of the Workers’ Party took place to discuss goals for next year, at a time of “unforeseeable difficulties that constantly threaten the existence and development” of the country, added KCNA.
The plenary’s agenda includes five main points: review of this year’s main state policies, work plan for 2023, implementation of the current year’s budget and budget project for the next year.
On the first point, Kim Jong-un referred to the country’s “successes and discoveries” through an “unprecedented, hard and fierce struggle this year”.
The North Korean leader pointed out the main goals to be achieved in essential sectors such as metallurgical, chemical, electrical, coal mining and manufacturing industries, and in other fields such as construction and agriculture.
The start of the plenary session took place after several North Korean ‘drones’ [unmanned aerial devices] crossed the border with the South on Monday.
The South Korean army said it deployed fighter jets and helicopters to destroy North Korean aircraft, then sent drones to the North to carry out reconnaissance operations.
The deployment of these ‘drones’ and the start of the one-party meeting come at a time of great tension on the Korean peninsula, due to the record number of weapons tests that Pyongyang has carried out this year and the joint military maneuvers of South Korea and the United States. .
