North Korean leader Kim Jong-un acknowledged on Tuesday that his country is facing the “worst situation in its history” in a speech before thousands of ordinary members of the ruling party at a major political conference in Pyongyang.
Experts say Kim may be facing his most difficult moment in nearly a decade in power, with coronavirus isolation causing further problems in an economy already plagued by decades of mismanagement and crippling United States-led sanctions for its nuclear weapons program .
Kim made the comments during the opening speech at a meeting of Labor Party cell secretaries, the state’s Central News Agency reported.
“Improving the living standards of the population, even in the worst situation in history where we have to overcome many unprecedented challenges, depends on the role played by the cells, the grassroots organizations of the party,” said Kim.
The president asked members to implement decisions made at a convention in January when he pledged to strengthen his nuclear deterrence under US pressure and announced a new five-year development plan. That meeting came months after, at another political conference, Kim showed unusual candor by admitting that his plans to improve the economy were unsuccessful.
During Tuesday’s speech, Kim also criticized the party’s basic units for unspecified “deficiencies” that should be promptly corrected to ensure the organization’s “healthy and sustainable” development.
Party cells, generally between five and thirty members, are the smallest authority units that oversee work and life in factories and elsewhere. The network is an important tool for perpetuating the power of the Workers’ Party. The last cell secretary conference took place in 2017.
Due to the economic setbacks, Kim has failed to reveal his ambitious diplomacy with former US President Donald Trump, who collapsed over disagreements about lifting sanctions in exchange for progress toward denuclearization.
For now, Pyongyang has rejected the Joe Biden administration’s proposal to negotiate, pointing out that Washington must give up its “hostile” policies sooner and stepped up pressure by resuming ballistic missile tests last month after a year of suspension. .