North Korea held an expanded meeting of the 2nd plenary meeting of the 9th term and repeatedly emphasized the principle of strengthening its nuclear force. North Korea also again formalized its foreign policy hostile to South Korea.
According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 23rd, the plenary meeting was held from the 20th under the chair of Kim Jong-un, Chairperson of the State Affairs Commission. Kim said, "The direction of party and state policy and the forthcoming short-term and mid-to-long-term struggle tasks."
The plenary meeting said it would "ceaselessly expand and strengthen nuclear forces and thoroughly exercise the status of a nuclear-armed state," adding, "More extensive, innovative, and encouraging plans related to nuclear technology will be accelerated."
Kim instructed, "Powerfully carry out the work to increase powerful defense assets with the goal of reaching a level that will overwhelm the world." Kim also emphasized pushing ahead with the construction project for a 1-ton(t)-class strategic guided-missile cruiser.
The plenary meeting also cited the U.S.-South Korea Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), a consultative body on extended deterrence, and the push to build nuclear submarines, saying, "In particular, we must thoroughly adhere to our party's principle of struggle against enemies that has designated South Korea as the most hostile state."
The Korean Central News Agency said, "What is dangerous is that the United States and South Korea have once again staged a military rehearsal of the 'Nuclear Consultative Group,' a nuclear war mechanism to attack our republic, accompanied by nuclear elements such as an integrated nuclear and conventional posture," adding, "They are pushing the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink of nuclear war."
It added, "The United States and South Korea are making ever more blatant their moves for regional arms buildup and modernization, even pushing for South Korea's possession of nuclear submarines," and "By incessantly carrying out military drills and reconnaissance activities aimed squarely at our state, they are extremely worsening the situation on the Korean Peninsula."
In this regard, Kim ordered construction to strengthen boosting national defense capabilities, including instructions to "qualitatively complete the 'southern border fortification project' currently underway and build new bases for naval fleets."
At the meeting, an organizational reshuffle was also carried out, including the dismissal of Kim Jae-ryong, Standing Commissioner of the Party Political Bureau and secretary and director of the Organization and Guidance Department of the Central Committee, and the appointment of Jo Yong-won, chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, as party secretary and director of the Organization and Guidance Department.
The core task in the economy for this meeting was cited as "revitalizing the coal industry." Accordingly, North Korea decided to start next year on a project to modernize dwellings in coal-mining villages nationwide.
Kim said, "Along with construction for the local development policy, unfold another new front to transform the entire institutional sector of the coal industry technologically and culturally," adding, "The project to transform coal-mining villages nationwide is a grand and massive construction undertaking no less than transforming all rural homes across the country."