North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un convened the first Workers’
Party Congress in five years on Tuesday during which he admitted that
the country’s economic development plan had fallen short in
“almost all areas”, AFP quoted local media as saying.

The Congress opened on Tuesday in the capital and was attended
by 7,000 delegates. During the gathering, Kim opened up about the failures in
the country and said the results of the last five-year economic development
strategy “fell extremely short of our goals in almost all areas,” the
official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The plan was
quietly scrapped ahead of schedule last year.

“We intend to comprehensively analyse in depth… our
experiences, lessons and the errors committed,” Kim added.

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The gathering comes weeks before US President-elect Joe Biden
takes office. North Korea’s relations with Washington have been deadlocked
since talks between Kim and President Donald Trump stalled over sanctions
relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return.

At the same time the country is more isolated than ever after
closing its borders last January to protect itself against the coronavirus that
first emerged in neighbour and key ally China.

The pandemic has added to the pressure on the country, with Pyongyang
blockading itself far more effectively than even the most hawkish backer of
sanctions could ever hope to achieve. Trade with key ally China is at a tiny
fraction of the usual level, while many foreign embassies have closed or
drastically reduced their representations.