North Korea’s ruler, Kim Jong-un, has admitted that his economic policies have largely failed, and vowed to avoid a repeat of the “painful lessons” of the past at a rare meeting of the country’s ruling party. Kim told the congress of the Workers’ party that his five-year economic plan had failed to achieve its goals “in almost all areas to a great extent”, North Korean state media said on Wednesday. He praised party workers for “ensuring stability” despite the challenges of the coronavirus. North Korea closed its borders with China and Russia early on in the pandemic and has since quarantined thousands of people suspected of having the virus. The congress reflected an “urgent need for internal solidarity”, said Ahn Chan-il, a former North Korean defector and now researcher at the World Institute for North Korea Studies in Seoul.

Source: The Guardian January 06, 2021 01:50 UTC