Kim cites plan failures
Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his fiveyear economic plan had failed to meet its goals ‘‘on almost every sector’’ as he began the ruling Workers’ Party congress on Tuesday, state media KCNA reported yesterday.
The rare political gathering has drawn international attention, as he is expected to unveil a new fiveyear economic plan and address foreign policy, just two weeks before United States Presidentelect Joe Biden takes office.
Kim said the country had achieved a ‘‘miraculous victory’’ by bolstering its power and global prestige since the last meeting in 2016, referring to military advances that culminated in successful tests in 2017 of intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the US mainland.
But the fiveyear economic strategy he set forth in 2016 had failed to deliver. He called for a boost in North Korea’s selfreliance to tackle internal and outside challenges hindering its progress. — Reuters