North Korean Workers' Party Plenary Meeting: Kim Jong-un Strengthens Defense Forces, Highlights Deficiencies in Science to Health

JAKARTA - North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un unveiled the country's new military goals for 2023 at a meeting of his ruling Workers' Party, signaling another year of weapons tests and intensifying tensions.

On the second day of the Sixth Enlarged Plenum of the party's 8th Central Committee, Leader Kim discussed the "newly created challenging situation" on the Korean peninsula and the broader political landscape, said the report, reported by KCNA, December 28.

The generation when the North Korean leadership set the course for "anti-enemy struggle" and the goal of strengthening defense forces, he added.

"He laid down the principles of foreign affairs and the direction of struggle against enemies that our party and government as a whole must adhere to in order to protect sovereign rights and defend national interests," the report said.

"The new core goal of strengthening self-defence capabilities to be vigorously pursued by 2023 has served as a preparation for various fluctuations in the political situation," the report continued.

KCNA did not provide details on the goals, but Leader Kim's remarks may indicate the isolated country will continue to accelerate its military build-up.

During the plenary meeting, Chairman Kim also pointed out "a series of serious deficiencies" observed in fields such as science, education, and health this year, suggested ways to overcome them, and raised key tasks for next year, KCNA said.

Unlike previous North Korean leaders who addressed the New Year, Chairman Kim has in recent years opted to hold meetings for days at the end of the year to announce major policy decisions.

The economy is high on the agenda, with Chairman Kim facing increasing pressure from international sanctions, the fallout from anti-coronavirus lockdowns, and natural disasters.

North Korea has fired an unprecedented number of missiles so far this year, with many of the launches designed to develop a "top priority" strategic weapon under a five-year plan set out at the Labor Party congress in early 2021.

The list includes tactical nuclear weapons, new intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic warhead launchers, nuclear powered submarines and reconnaissance satellites.