[정창현의 북한읽기] North Korea’s 8th Party Conference’Business Summit Report’ foretelling change

(Pyongyang Labor Newspaper = News 1) = North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held the 3rd meeting of the 8th Labor Party Congress on the 7th, the Labor Newspaper reported on the 8th. [국내에서만 사용가능. 재배포 금지. DB 금지. For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. Redistribution Prohibited] [email protected]

At the 8th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which opened on the 5th, Chairman Kim Jong-un gave a’business summary report’ over the past 5 years, accounting for the activities and achievements of the Party Central Committee over the past 5 years following the opening speech. Although the entire contents have not been disclosed yet, the basic direction of the report can be seen by looking at the contents of the North Korean media.

The’Business Consolidation Report’ of this 8th party conference was conducted in the order of five-year activity evaluation in a large framework-economy-defense-science and technology-culture and society-social life-mass organizations-South Korean issues and external relations-strengthening the party.

◇ First mention in the field of economy

Looking at the reporting order, the economic sector was mentioned first and the most, like the New Year’s address of recent years. The intention to focus on economic development is visible.

In the summary report, Chairman Kim Jong-un appears to have presented a new five-year plan (5-year economic development plan) after analyzing the main objective factors that failed to achieve the goals and problems encountered in the implementation of the 5-year national economic development strategy. It will contain the contents of “business to raise the overall economy one step further” in a large frame.

Based on this, key sectors of the people’s economy, including metals, chemicals, electric power, coal, machinery, and mining industries, transportation, basic construction and building materials industry, postal service, commerce, homeland environment, urban management, foreign economy, and other major sectors, The actual conditions of the agriculture, light industry, and fisheries sectors and future tasks were raised. However, it is highly likely that specific goals for each field will not be presented in numerical terms.

In the field of foreign economy that is notable, “to keep credit in foreign trade, to eliminate any changes, to improve the trade structure in the direction of increasing the proportion of processed goods exports, technology trade, and service trade” and “operate by ensuring favorable investment environment and conditions for economic development zones. In the direction of “activating tourism and actively organizing tourism”, it is presumed that more specific goals and action directions were mentioned. In particular, it is noteworthy whether mentions related to the Sinuiju Special Economic Zone are included.

In addition, since the facts and analysis of the’economic management field’ were raised, it is likely that each factory, enterprises and cooperative farms based on the’socialist corporate responsibility management system’ were ordered for management innovation.

In particular, he pointed out that in the Kim Jong-un era, the’People’s Firstist Idea’, which is emphasized as a practical ideology, must be thoroughly implemented in all units, and it is necessary to escape from formalism and old-fashioned business methods that appear in the process of activities.

And in this report, “solutions to bring about substantial changes that can be felt as a waste in people’s lives by developing cities and counties independently and multilaterally” were mentioned. North Korea focused on the restoration of damage in the provinces that were damaged by a series of natural disasters such as floods and typhoons last year, and it is expected that a policy to reinforce investment and construction in the provinces was proposed. Above all, the construction of local infrastructure and solving the housing problem must have been mentioned.

(Pyongyang Labor Newspaper = News 1) = North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held the 3rd meeting of the 8th Labor Party Congress on the 7th, the labor newspaper reported on the 8th. [국내에서만 사용가능. 재배포 금지. DB 금지. For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. Redistribution Prohibited] [email protected]

◇ Reconfirmation of strengthening national defense capabilities

In the field of defense, the term’national defense force’ was used instead of’nuclear force’. North Korean media reported that in a report by Chairman Kim, “reaffirming the importance of reinforcing the national defense to a higher level and reliably defending the peaceful environment of the country and people’s safety and socialist construction.” As can be seen from the word’rehearsal name’, it is to continue the existing route.

At the 5th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Labor Party held at the end of 2019, North Korea said, “We will always reliably maintain the mobilization posture of strong nuclear deterrence. He also declared, “We will continue to develop essential and prerequisite strategic weapons for national security without interruption until the hostilities of the US counter-ship are withdrawn and a durable and solid peace regime is established on the Korean Peninsula.”

Although it has repeated the stance that a peaceful environment is necessary to focus on economic construction, it seems to have expressed a willingness to build a peaceful environment on its own in the direction of strengthening the national defense power without clinging to denuclearization negotiations with the United States. It seems to have implied the intention to observe the attitude of the United States while continuing to develop’strategic weapons’. However, referring to “nuclear force” as “defense force” without directly referring to “nuclear force” shows a prudent attitude not to stimulate the United States.

First of all, rather than embark on a’military action’, it is to watch the biden administration’s policy toward North Korea and the joint military exercise in March.

◇Expansion of external relations

In his report on the 3rd day, Chairman Kim Jong-un said, “We have considered the South Korean issue in accordance with the created situation and the demands of the times, and clarified the overall direction and policy position of our Party to expand and develop external relations in a full scale.” Although the details were not disclosed, it is noteworthy that the media outlets in North Korea for the first time referred to it as’the South-South issue’ rather than’North-South relations.

Chairman Kim said at the opening remarks on the 5th, “In our Party Protocol, we are conducting an in-depth study to correct the problems that did not fit the reality by mechanically following the old and the others of the past period in accordance with the demands of the revolutionary development and the Juche Party Construction Principle.” I said I did. It is evaluated that he has expressed his intention to significantly modify the party agreement.

The most important issue is the revision of the’South Korean Revolution’ in the full text of the Party Code. Currently, the description contained in the party’s rules is “The Korean Workers’ Party of Korea expelled the US-made aggression force from South Korea, end all kinds of foreign domination and interference, destroys the reinvasion of Japanese militarism, and promotes the democratization of society and the right of survival “We actively support the struggle of the people and work together with each other to unify our country under the principle of independent, peaceful unification and great national unity, and to achieve unified development of the nation and nation.”

Practically, reflecting the situation in which inter-Korean summits have been held several times in a special relationship between the two Koreas, North Korea may define this content in the Party’s Covenant as “old” and change it. Although it is only a possibility, if this regulation is actually deleted or changed, the designation of the’problem with South Korea’ rather than’North-South relations’ will be evidence of North Korea’s changed perception of the South.

In addition, North Korea is expected to launch a large-scale diplomatic peace offensive when the Corona 19 incident subsides by advocating “full expansion and development of foreign relations,” and civilian exchanges between the two Koreas are also expected to loosen the barrier. Accordingly, it is expected that Chairman Kim Jong-un’s visit to China will be promoted at an appropriate time this year, and it is highly likely that North Korea-China economic cooperation in a’new way’ will be sought. In some fields, specific business details are already mentioned. In particular, it is noteworthy whether any one of the inter-Korean railway connection projects, Mt. Geumgang tourism, and medical cooperation, which the Korean government is interested in, will be included in the’decision’ to be adopted on the last day of the party conference.

It seems that the’Business Summary Report’ at the 8th Congress is focused on’change’ overall. Inside North Korea, the focus is on intensively examining and improving the biases in the work of the Chosun Workers Party and the problems in the party leadership. In the’Business General Report’, North Korean media outlets suggested tasks and strategies to urgently correct the biases inherent in our business at the present time, further strengthen the party and the revolutionary stand, and deepen the party leadership on the revolution and construction. Although it was briefly reported, it is expected that this area will be discussed most intensively even after the actual preparation of the party conference, the period of the conference, and after the conference. This is because changes in perceptions and business methods at the party level can lead to substantial policy changes and results.

Chang-Hyun Jeong, Director of Money Today Media Institute for Peace Economy. © News 1

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