Seoul/Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for “diplomatic and military counter-measures” for preserving the country’s sovereignty and security during an ongoing Workers’ Party meeting, state media reported on Tuesday, ahead of the impending expiry of Pyongyang’s end-of-year deadline for US concessions.
He made the calls at the third-day session of the plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the North’s ruling Workers Party on Monday, Pyongyang’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a report.
The meeting came as North Korea has threatened to take a “new way” in denuclearization talks if Washington fails to come up with an acceptable proposal before the end of this year, hinting it would otherwise end diplomacy and revert to provocative acts.
During Monay’s session, Kim urged party members to prepare “positive and offensive political, diplomatic and military countermeasures for firmly preserving the sovereignty and security of the country, intensifying the combat against anti-socialist and non-socialist acts”, Yonhap News Agency quoted the KCNA report as saying.
“He made a comprehensive report on the work of the Central Committee of the WPK (Workers’ Party of Korea), state building, economic development and building of the armed forces for seven hours at the plenary meeting,” it added.
The KCNA added that the plenary meeting “goes on”, suggesting an additional session will take place Tuesday.
It is unusual for the North to have such a multiple-day party meeting.
The committee is one of the communist state’s highest decision-making bodies, though it rubber-stamps the policy presented by Kim who has absolute power.
Decisions from the plenary meeting will likely be reflected in a much-anticipated New Year’s Day address Kim is expected to deliver on Wednesday amid growing signs that he could announce a major policy shift in its denuclearization talks with the US, reports Yonhap News Agency.
The denuclearization talks have been stalled since the second summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump ended without an agreement due to wide differences over how to match Pyongyang’s denuclearization measures and Washington’s sanctions relief.
North Korea earlier said that it is entirely up to Washington what “Christmas gift” it wants to get.
The holiday passed without a test, but Washington and Seoul remain on high alert.
