By Hyunsoo Yim
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held an important policy-setting meeting for the country's ruling party last week ahead of the new year, North Korea's Korean Central News Agency reported on Sunday.
The report said, without going into details, that the meeting of party and government officials decided that North Korea would launch the “toughest” strategy to confront the United States for the sake of its security and national interests.
The KCNA report added that the alliance between South Korea, the United States and Japan expanded into a “nuclear military bloc” and South Korea became an “anti-communist outpost” for the United States.
He added, “This reality clearly shows in which direction we should advance, what we should do and how.”
The meeting, held on December 23-27, also reviewed the handling of floods earlier this year, including the plan that brought those affected to the capital, Pyongyang, according to the report.
During the meeting, the isolated country also pledged to strengthen relations with “friendly” countries.
Kim also called for progress in defense science and technology to enhance the country's war deterrence.
Such meetings often last a few days, and have been used in recent years to make major political announcements.
In a cabinet reshuffle, Pyongyang appointed Pak Thae-sung, party secretary, as the new prime minister to replace Kim Tok-hun.
Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui was appointed a member of the powerful Politburo of the Party's Central Committee.
The 11th plenary session of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea concludes a year in which Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit with Kim and signed an agreement that included a pledge for mutual defense.
Washington and Seoul have criticized military cooperation between the two countries, including what they say is sending North Korean forces to fight alongside Russia in its war against Ukraine.
