Announcing proud achievements and frankly confessing that they are facing difficulties and obstacles, the Eighth National Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea emphasized "rejuvenating the economy"

　　[Global Times reporter Mang Jiuchen Li Wen] The 8th National Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea opened in Pyongyang on the 5th. This is the first time that North Korea has convened a party congress five years after the Seventh National Congress in May 2016. attention.

　　According to a report from the Korean Central News Agency on the 6th, North Korea’s top leader Kim Jong Un stated in the opening speech of the Eighth National Congress of the Workers’ Party that despite the prolonged global health crisis, North Korea has always maintained a stable epidemic prevention situation.

In addition, North Korea has also vigorously carried out post-disaster reconstruction work and built more than 20,000 houses across the country. These achievements will write a proud page in the battle history of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

　　However, Kim Jong-un emphasized that the five-year strategy of North Korea’s national economic development was fully concluded last year, but most of the goals were far from being achieved.

On the road to continuous new victories in socialist construction, various difficulties, obstacles and challenges from home and abroad still exist.

In this regard, Kim Jong-un said that he must find the reasons subjectively, boldly admit his mistakes and formulate decisive countermeasures to prevent similar abuses from recurring.

　　Since 1945, the seven National Congresses of the Workers' Party have issued the main policies of North Korea on economic construction, foreign policy, and unification.

Kim Jong Un stated that he would further revitalize the country's overall economy in accordance with the new five-year plan to be proposed at the Eighth National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

The meeting also approved the agenda of the Eighth Party Congress and elected the presidium of the Eighth Party Congress.

On the 5th, 250 members of the central leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea and 4750 representatives of party organizations at all levels attended the meeting, and 2,000 people attended the meeting.

　　Yonhap News Agency reported that from the perspective of the leadership team, the total number of members of the Labor Party Presidium has not changed compared with the Seventh National Congress. It is 39, but 29 of them have been replaced, which is as high as 74.4%.

Most of the newly unveiled officials are cadres who have been promoted due to outstanding work performance in the past five years.

Among them, the first deputy minister of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim Yo-jung, and the first deputy minister of the North Korean Organizational Guidance Department, Cho Yong-won, became members of the presidium.

　　On the other hand, the structure of delegates selected by party organizations at all levels has also undergone significant changes.

Among them, the number of military representatives was halved compared to the seventh, while the number of representatives from the administrative and economic departments and front-line party members doubled, and representatives from the party and government departments also increased.

The Yonhap News Agency said that the increase in the number of officials responsible for economic work and front-line party members shows that Kim Jong-un hopes to use the conference as an opportunity for economic take-off and listen to the voices of the grassroots to calm the people.

　　However, Kim Jong-un did not mention his policies toward South Korea and the United States in his opening speech, nor did he mention nuclear missiles and other related information.

Yonhap News Agency stated that the conference focused on the internal affairs of the country, such as the economy, the epidemic, and reconstruction after the floods. Especially when Kim Jong-un talked about the country's five-year economic development strategy, he rarely admitted "economic mistakes."

South Korea’s "Mainichi Economy" believes that the content of Kim Jong-un’s speech is in the same line as his "frank speaking style."

　　At present, North Korea is facing triple difficulties such as the new crown pneumonia epidemic, natural disasters such as floods and typhoons, and international sanctions against North Korea. This is an important background for the 8th National Congress of the Workers’ Party.

South Korea’s "Korea Economics" reported that, unlike the 7th National Congress of the Workers’ Party, which has repeatedly emphasized the words "struggle" and "victory" for dozens of times, Kim Jong-un emphasized the need to overcome economic difficulties in his opening speech. , Which means that North Korea may make economic reconstruction its next priority.

　　In addition, the meeting is only two weeks away from President-elect Biden of the United States. The relationship between Kim Jong Un and the Biden administration is also one of the main concerns of the media.

South Korea’s "Daily Business" reported that in the case that Biden and his foreign policy advisory team have not publicly provided information on North Korea, it is expected that North Korea will not take the initiative to disclose the new tone of its US policy.

　　Regarding the development of North-South relations, the "Han Minzu Daily" commented that the new crown pneumonia epidemic will still be a major change in the relationship between South Korea and North Korea in the new year.

North Korea has upgraded the epidemic prevention and control system to the highest level, further blocked its external gateways, and emphasized self-reliance.

The development of health cooperation between South Korea and North Korea, sharing vaccines and therapeutic drugs, etc., may help North Korea overcome its triple difficulties to a certain extent.

In October last year, Kim Jong-un said in his speech at the military parade celebrating the founding of the Labor Party that he hoped to overcome this health crisis at an early date and usher in the day when North Korea and South Korea join hands again.

On this basis, relevant countries should use the July Tokyo Olympics as an opportunity to restart the peace process on the Korean Peninsula that has stalled after the breakdown of the DPRK-US summit in Hanoi in February 2019.

　　The Yonhap News Agency speculated that North Korea’s foreign policy lines, etc., may be determined after the conclusion of the work summary report of the Central Committee of the Labor Party.

An official from the Ministry of Unification of South Korea said on the 6th that they will continue to follow the eight major trends of the Workers’ Party of Korea, hoping that this meeting will be an important opportunity to contribute to the peace of the Korean Peninsula and the development of North-South relations.