North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared Thursday that his nation has successfully pulled through economic hardships and achieved key financial objectives during the launch of the country’s most important political gathering, according to state-run media reports.
The hermit kingdom kicked off its Ninth Party Congress, a massive political assembly that takes place once every five years to assess the government’s performance, establish new policy directions, and potentially shuffle leadership roles.
During his opening remarks, Kim claimed North Korea had achieved “significant accomplishments” across multiple areas including politics, the economy, military defense, cultural affairs, and international relations over the previous five-year period, while strengthening the nation’s independence.
The North Korean leader also stated that his country has created a “big change” in its relationships with foreign nations and influenced the worldwide political situation.
State media KCNA reported Friday that the gathering drew 5,000 members from the controlling Workers’ Party, who received proposals for new objectives and strategies across different government sectors for the upcoming five-year term.
