North Korea to set new five-year plan at Congress in January next year: Report

North Korea’s ruling party will hold a congress in January next year to set a new five-year plan for the economic development of the country, the state media reported, amid ongoing struggle due to the pandemic and various global sanctions. At a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party, North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un reportedly said that the 8th Congress would review this year's work.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the party decided to convene the congress to set forth a new line of “struggle and strategic and tactical policies” after reviewing the past progress. Kim reportedly assessed achievements and shortcomings that have been seen in the Party and the state affairs for the past four years the 7th Congress.

North’s leader analysed the “unexpected and inevitable challenges in various aspects” face by the country and the situation in the Korean peninsula, KCNA reported.

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To reviews shortcomings

Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee reportedly suggested convening the 8th Congress to analyse and review the shortcomings in the implementation of the decisions made at the 7th Congress in a “comprehensive, three-dimensional and anatomical way”. KCNA reported that the congress will discuss and decide on the strategic tasks for the Party and the government in the “new phase of struggle in the crucial period of our revolution.”

Last month, Kim reportedly told a politburo meeting of ruling Workers Party that Pyongyang has prevented the coronavirus from making inroads in the country. The state-run news agency reported that Kim had presided over the meeting and reviewed the work of the past 6 months for preventing the spread on coronavirus in North Korea.

“We have thoroughly prevented the inroads of the malignant virus and maintained stable anti-epidemic situation despite the worldwide health crisis,” said Kim, in a statement carried by KCNA.

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