North Korea launches ‘tough’ US strategy at key inter-party summit Reuters

By Hyunsu Yam

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a key policy-making meeting of the country’s ruling party last week ahead of the new year, state media KCNA reported on Sunday.

A meeting of party and government officials decided that North Korea would launch a “harder” strategy to defend the United States for its security and national interests, the report said.

The KCNA report added that the alliance between South Korea, the United States and Japan has expanded into a “nuclear military bloc,” with South Korea becoming an “anti-communist hub” for the United States.

“This fact clearly shows in which direction we should go and what we should do and how.”

The December 23-27 meeting also reviewed flood management, including plans to bring flood victims to the capital Pyongyang earlier this year, the report said.

During the meeting, the state also promised to promote relations with “friendly” countries.

Kim also called for progress in defense science and technology to strengthen the country’s war defense.

Such meetings usually last a few days and in recent years have been used to make key policy announcements.

In a reshuffle, Pyongyang named Party Secretary Park Tae-sung as the new prime minister to replace Kim Tok-hun.

Foreign Minister Cho Son Hui was elected as a member of the powerful Politburo of the Party Central Committee.

The 11th General Assembly of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea ended the year in which Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit with Kim and signed an agreement that included a mutual defense pact.

Washington and Seoul have criticized the two countries’ military cooperation, including sending North Korean troops to fight in Russia’s war with Ukraine.