North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stated that the country’s faltering economy will be a top priority this year, citing the country’s “great life-and-death fight.”
He was speaking at the conclusion of an important ruling party meeting, which also happened to be his tenth year in office.
North Korea is suffering from food shortages as a result of a self-imposed coronavirus ban.
In his remarks, he made no direct mention of the United States or South Korea.
The fundamental aim, according to Mr Kim, is to increase development and improve people’s living standards.
Kim acknowledged the “severe condition” in 2021 and was assigned “a vital job for making significant progress in solving the people’s food, clothing, and housing problems,” according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
He did say, however, that because of the increasingly unpredictable military environment on the Korean peninsula, Pyongyang would continue to strengthen its defence capabilities.
In this photo issued on December 29, 2021, by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korean leader Kim Jong-un leads a session of the 4th plenary meeting of the governing Workers’ Party’s 8th Central Committee.
He was speaking on Friday at the conclusion of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK4th)’s Plenary Meeting, which began on Monday.
There were rumours earlier this year that people in the country were going hungry, raising fears of a full-blown food crisis as winter neared.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19 from China, the border has been blocked since January 2020.
Mr Kim’s prior New Year statements featured messages to South Korea and the United States, but this time there were no specific allusions.
At the end of last year, North and South Korea, the United States, and China agreed in principle to conclude the Korean War, which ended in an armistice. However, due to North Korea’s demands, talks have yet to commence, according to South Korea.
