North Korea has claimed to have achieved significant results regarding the 'Five-Year National Economic Development Plan' that concludes this year. It states that the economic line emphasized on self-reliance has started to yield results.
According to the Chosun Shinbo, the official newspaper of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, researcher Ri Gi-seong (82) from the Academy of Social Sciences in North Korea stated in an interview, "The national economy as a whole is advancing vigorously, and significant achievements have been made."
North Korea finalized a five-year economic plan focused on self-reliance at the 8th Congress of the Labor Party held in early 2021. Subsequently, at a plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee in late 2022, 12 sectors including grain, power, coal, seafood, dwellings, and railway freight transport were designated as 'important objectives', encouraging the achievement of goals for each item.
Researcher Ri noted, "The country's independent economic foundation is becoming more solid, and the overall economy is maintaining a stable growth trend," adding, "Current production is being revitalized, and tangible results are being seen in the improvement of people's living standards.
Mentioning the introduction of energy-saving oxygen heat method furnaces at the Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex and the installation of large oxygen separators as exemplary cases, he assessed them as the fruition of the 'Maintenance and Reinforcement Strategy' presented at the 8th Party Congress. He also boasted that the tasks of the 12 'important objectives' have been achieved continuously in 2023 and 2024.
In agriculture, they claimed to have exceeded last year's grain production plan by 107%, and mentioned the construction of 50,000 dwellings in Pyongyang, saying, "The prospect has opened that Pyongyang can become the capital that has solved the housing problem first in the world."
North Korea is likely to emphasize the achievements of this five-year plan at the expected 9th Party Congress to be held early next year as an accomplishment of Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission.