By Kim Young-jin
North Korea said Friday that it will hold its first meeting of party cell secretaries in five years. Analysts here speculated the event will focus on economic improvements.
The North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the meeting, to be held that day in Pyongyang would be a "historic landmark” to bring about a drastic turn in…building a thriving nation” under the leadership of Kim Jong-un.
In 2007, during the last meeting of the heads of the cells, which are the ruling Worker’s Party smallest organizations, the party also stressed economic issues.
Kim has emphasized the importance of the party cells in bolstering the party.
Watchers here said the meeting was likely to highlight Kim’s rare New Year’s Day speech, in which he called on the country to "build an economic giant,” adding, “economic undertakings for this year should be geared toward a radical increase in production, and stabilizing and improving the people's living standards."
It could also be the latest move by Kim to emphasize the party, which has been refurbished in recent years after years of “military-first” rule.
North Korean media has emphasized the economy following the speech, calling on the nation to take inspiration in the country’s Dec. 12 long-range rocket launch, which was condemned by many in the international community.
Radio stations in the North this week claimed “revolutionary changes” in production including at an iron ore mine in South Hamgyong Province and construction projects in North Phyongan Province. Media also claimed an uptick in production of calcium hydroxide.
The country has taken small steps to modernize since Kim took over including sprucing up the capital city, diversifying consumption opportunities there, and emphasizing information technology.
In his New Year’s speech, the young leader said agriculture will be the key sector in the coming year but did not mention anticipated reforms that could ditch the North’s rationing system and offer new incentives for workers. Following the speech, the regime has invited in foreign delegations at a faster pace than in recent years, which analysts said could be a sign of confidence following the death of late dictator Kim Jong-il in 2011.
The foreign visitors have included Google chairman Eric Schmidt, which analysts said provided the regime with the chance to play up its progress in computing and technology.