North Korea urged speeding up efforts to achieve goals, including the "local development 20×10" policy, ahead of the 9th party congress early next year.
On the 15th, the Labor Party's organ, Rodong Sinmun, ran an editorial titled "Step up with more vigor in a bold and offensive fighting spirit," saying, "The period until the 9th Party Congress is convened is a very important and responsible juncture for successfully wrapping up the implementation of party decisions and moving to a new stage of transformation."
Rodong Sinmun went on, "We must continue to press ahead to pioneer the future with our unique mode of struggle and the power of self-reliance and self-determination," adding, "If we loosen the reins of our minds and stagnate where we are today, the valuable victories achieved so far will lose their luster." It stressed, "There must not be even trivial pending issues left unresolved."
As many construction projects are underway under the local development 20×10 policy, a key initiative of Kim Jong-un's regime, it appears Rodong Sinmun has launched a publicity drive to deliver results. North Korea is expected to tout its local self-sufficiency policy as a major achievement to residents at the subsequent party congress.
Earlier, during a plenary meeting held on the 9th–11th ahead of the 9th party congress early next year, Kim Jong-un, chairman of the State Affairs Commission, also pointed out "the issue of completing important targets that remain unresolved before the convening of the 9th Party Congress." The party congress is regarded as North Korea's biggest political event.