N. Korea holds party meeting to discuss 'important policy issues'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during a meeting of the ruling Workers' Party on Saturday to discuss "important policy issues for new victory in our revolution," state media said Sunday. Yonhap

North Korea held the first-day session of a previously announced meeting of the ruling Workers' Party on Saturday to discuss "important policy issues for new victory in our revolution," state media said Sunday.

The plenary meeting of the party's Central Committee has been a key focus of attention since the North said earlier this month that it will hold the session in the "latter part of December" to decide on "crucial issues."

That sparked speculation Pyongyang could make important decisions during the session, possibly with regard to the stalled nuclear talks with the United States, as the regime has threatened to take a "new way" unless Washington offers concessions in their negotiations.

On Sunday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said that leader Kim Jong-un presided over the meeting the previous day "to discuss important matters arising in the party building and activities and in the building of the state and national defence."

"The immediate orientation of the struggle of the Party of Korea WPK (Workers' Party of Korea) and the state and important policy issues for new victory in our revolution under the present situation were brought up as agendas of the plenary meeting," KCNA said.

The meeting was held to "overcome the manifold and harsh trials and difficulties and further accelerate the development of the revolution with transparent anti-imperialist independent stand and firm will," it said.

No further specifics were provided.

Participants write down Kim's speech. Yonhap

A snapshot of the meeting. Yonhap

KCNA said the plenary meeting "goes on," suggesting it will be a multiple-day meeting.

The meeting came ahead of a highly-anticipated New Year's Day address that the North's leader is expected to deliver on Wednesday, which will be closely scrutinized for any possible major policy shift with regard to denuclearization talks with Washington.

Speculation has mounted that North Korea could launch a long-range missile as a "Christmas gift" for Washington. Christmas passed without such a test but the U.S. and South Korea have been on high alert for the North's possible major provocations.

Denuclearization talks have been stalled since the second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump held in Hanoi in February this year ended without an agreement due to wide differences over how to match Pyongyang's denuclearization measures and Washington's sanctions relief.

Saturday's plenary meeting came a week after Pyongyang convened a meeting of the ruling party's central military commission and discussed "important organizational and political measures and military steps to bolster up" the armed forces. (Yonhap)

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