According to the official state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the three-day meeting, which began last Saturday and was chaired by its leader Kim Jong-un, was convened "to conduct the interim review" of major policies for this year and "to discuss and decide on the issues arising in the course of expanding and deepening short-, intermediate-, and long-range plans for economic construction."
According to KCNA, discussions also covered preparations for upcoming key anniversaries and other events including the 80th anniversary of the Workers Party's founding, which falls on Oct. 10.
Kim delivered a speech, but details were not disclosed, with KCNA merely saying that the "respected comrade" made an "important speech."
The North's rubber-stamp parliament also "unanimously" decided to convene a party congress, "which would be another important watershed" for the party, without specifying a date.
The meeting drew attention from many pundits as they sought to gauge how Kim would respond to recent conciliatory gestures by the new U.S. and South Korean administrations, amid rising hopes for reengagement with the isolated country.
reporter
Im Yoon-seo
lyseo0330@ajupress.com
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