Kim Jong-un Holds Rare Congress To Renew Relations With South Korea

Kim Joung-un (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

JAKARTA - Supreme Leader of North Korea (North Korea) Kim Jong-un is looking for ways to renew inter-Korean relations. He promised to expand foreign relations.

This was conveyed by the North Korean state media. Kim Jong-un made this point at the Labor Party Congress which is rare.

Quoting Reuters, Friday, January 8, 2021, the Labor Party's eighth Congress comes amid a prolonged gridlock in negotiations aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear and missile programs in exchange for waivers of US sanctions. The meeting aims to review the party's work since its last meeting in 2016 and outline a new blueprint.

On the third day of the congress, Thursday, January 7, Kim Jong-un raised the issue of re-establishing relations with South Korea (South Korea) "as required by the prevailing circumstances and changing times" and discussed foreign policy, the official KCNA news agency reported. without elaborating.

He "declared our party's general orientation and policy stance to comprehensively expand and develop external relations."

This congress takes place ahead of the inauguration of President-elect of the United States (US) Joe Biden. In office, Biden will face the difficult task of engineering a breakthrough in the deadlock after a historic meeting between Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump failed to reach an agreement.

Meanwhile, inter-Korean relations made some progress around the 2018 summit but deteriorated due to nuclear talks. The dictator's leader also discussed ways to open a "new golden age" in his campaign for a socialist culture, as North Korea has stepped up its crackdown on outside information.

North Korea enacted new laws last month banning foreign material that could spark "reactionary thinking." He called for "building our healthy and revolutionary lifestyle in all areas of social life and completely eliminating non-socialist elements," said Kim Jong-un.

Political meetings like this are rare, the last time being held in 2016. The eighth congress has also attracted international attention as Kim Jon-un unveiled his next five-year economic plan and discussed inter-Korean relations and foreign policy. The congress was attended by 4,750 delegates and 2,000 spectators.

At the congress, Kim Jong-un also promised to strengthen military defenses. Kim Jong-un explained his desire to reliably protect the security of the country and the people and the peaceful environment from a socialist construction by placing the country's defense capabilities at a much higher level.