N Korea's ruling party to convene

North Korea's ruling party will convene a plenary meeting of the Central Committee later this month to review its policies for 2021, state-run media reported yesterday, as the country's economy remains stagnant amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision was made at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on Wednesday that leader Kim Jong-un attended, the official Korean Central News Agency said.

Kim, who will mark 10 years in power on December 30, was quoted by KCNA as saying at the gathering that "positive changes" were achieved in overall state affairs including politics, economy, culture and national defence.