Economic woes grow for leader of North Korea

Leader Kim Jong Un “solemnly swore” to navigate his country out of deepening economic troubles as he concluded a major ruling party meeting, acknowledging food shortages and urging officials to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the U.S.

North Korea’s state media released Kim’s comments shortly before President Biden’s special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, arrived in South Korea on Saturday for talks over stalled nuclear diplomacy with the North.

Kim Jong Un had presided over a fourday plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee, which he summoned to discuss efforts to salvage a dismal economy, hurt by years of mismanagement and U.S.led sanctions that were made worse by pandemic border closures.

As he closed the meetings, Kim pledged that the party “will surely break through headon the difficulties lying in the way of the revolution,” the Korean Central News Agency reported.

Kim has threatened to bolster his nuclear deterrent and says the fate of diplomacy depends on whether Washington abandons what he calls hostile policies.

Kim opened the plenary by warning of potential food shortages, urging officials to find ways to boost agricultural production because the situation “is now getting tense.”

He said the country should brace for extended COVID19 restrictions, suggesting it would extend border closures and other steps despite the stress on the economy.

Peter Parks / AFP / Getty Images Police officers drag activist Alexandra Wong, also known as Grandma Wong, away from the courthouse in Hong Kong, where executives from the city’s prodemocracy Apple Daily newspaper were denied bail.