Kim Jong-un says North Korea will focus on economy, food and Covid in 2022

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un listed his government’s main goals for 2022, including a strong focus on domestic issues such as rural development and plans to boost the country’s faltering economy, at a conference key policy, state media reported.

Mr Kim’s comments on Friday came at the end of a five-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea and coincided with the completion of 10 years since he took over the leadership of the country after the death of his father in 2011.

The meeting aimed to set the country’s economic goals and targets for 2022.

Unlike his speeches in previous years, Mr. Kim made only passing mention of North Korea’s foreign relations and did not mention the United States at all. He has used speeches around the New Year in the past to make diplomatic announcements about South Korea or the United States.

“The increasingly unstable military environment on the Korean Peninsula and international politics have prompted calls to vigorously push forward our plans to strengthen national defense without any delay,” Kim said, according to the official agency. Korean Central News Agency.

The agency added that while the meeting mapped out “tactical guidelines” for North Korea’s foreign relations, including with South Korea, it did not elaborate.

Mr. Kim instead focused on domestic concerns. “The fundamental tasks that the people will face next year are to provide a firm guarantee for the implementation of the five-year plan and to bring remarkable changes to national development and people’s livelihood,” he said. declared.

Last January, Mr Kim admitted that his previous economic plans had failed, leading to “the worst situation” for North Korea. But in sessions this week, he said last year was one of “great victory” and that the targets for 2022 were “one great fight to the death” that must be achieved.

He also cited progress in agriculture, construction, power, mining, forestry and many other sectors.

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In addition, Mr. Kim emphasized an ambitious plan for rural development concerning food for the population, school uniforms and the need to suppress “unsocialist practices”.

Mr Kim’s announcements came amid calls from think tanks and international bodies, including the United Nations, to address the severe food shortage and electricity crisis plaguing the country. These shortages have been compounded by North Korea’s strict border closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Pyongyang also faces US sanctions over its recent nuclear and missile development programs.

During the plenary meeting, Mr. Kim stressed the need to maintain strong anti-virus measures and said that negligence and shortcomings would not be tolerated, although he maintained a dubious claim that North Korea is free of coronavirus.

Chad O’Carroll, Founder of NK Newsa Seoul-based website that tracks North Korea, said in a tweet that Mr Kim’s speech reflected a populist approach to approaching the year ahead.

“All in all, Kim may be aware that revealing sophisticated military development plans as people suffer food shortages and harsh conditions outside Pyongyang may not be such a good idea this year.” , did he declare.

“So I read the focus on rural development as a populist strategy.”

“Conclusion? North Korea is more or less in survival mode for 2022 – and not really sure what to do foreign policy right now,” he added in another tweet.

Additional reports by agencies