April 09, 2021

Anna Murray 

During a major political conference in Pyongyang on April 6, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un addressed thousands of grassroots members of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). In the opening speech, Kim acknowledged to the Workers' Party's cell secretaries that North Korea is encountering a historic economic crisis in the worst situation ever.

North Korean leader asked the Central Committee and the cell secretaries of the WPK organizations at all levels to endure another more difficult "arduous march", an official term referred to as the 1990s famine that had perished more than 3 million lives, in order to keep people off hardship.

Years of UN sanctions and international embargo against North Korea have already obstructed international aids to rescue vulnerable children and women. Worst of all, experts observed the COVID pandemic lockdowns probably have kept a vast majority of North Korean people suffering malnutrition since the coronavirus outbreak in early 2020.

Meanwhile, in his speech on April 8 at the closing of the conference, Kim encouraged the WPK officials to be more proactive and responsible in carrying out the nation's new five-year economic plan adopted at January's party congress.

Photo:webshot.