(VOVworld)- The just-concluded 7th Congress of the North Korean Workers’ Party elected Kim Jong-un as Party Chairman and approved a policy of bolstering economic growth and defensive nuclear capability. The Congress ruled out the use of nuclear weapons unless North Korea’s sovereignty is threatened by others with nuclear arms and looked towards inter-Korean reconciliation.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the 7th Workers' Party Congress in Pyongyang on May 9 (Photo: Kyodo/VNA)
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The Congress, the first in 36 years was held to review what the Party has achieved under the previous leaders and define new directions and policies. It was also aimed at strengthening the Party’s absolute leadership of the State, army, and people and opening a new chapter in North Korea’s diplomacy.
Primary tasks defined
At the Congress, leader Kim Jong-un set out Party tasks, including implementing policies for building socialism, improving people’s lives, reunifying the country and consolidating the Party’s power. The Congress’ report on North Korea’s 5-year economic plan, pointed out the importance of achieving growth, ensuring the balanced development of sectors, and laying a foundation for sustainable development. North Korea is determined to bolster its nuclear deterrence capability in the face of hostile US policies and pursue its nuclear programs as long as it feels under nuclear threat.
Kim Jong-un defined national unification as the most important task of the Workers’ Party by improving ties with South Korea and seeking inter-Korean talks.
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Delegates at the 7th Congress of North Korean Workers' Party in Pyongyang (Photo: AFP/VNA)
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World opinions on Pyongyang’ s new policy
The changes in the national development roadmap adopted by the North Korean Workers’ Party Congress have not received a positive response from South Korea. In a statement on Monday, the South Korean Defense Ministry said Seoul and the international community will never accept North Korea as a nuclear State. The South’s government will continue to press the North to abandon its nuclear ambition through strong punitive measures. Seoul also rejected Kim Jong-un’s proposal for bilateral military talks, saying it lacks sincerity and urged North Korea to halt its provocations and work towards the goal of nuclear disarmament.
The Party Congress’s announcements have provoked responses from Japan, Russia, the US, and China, who all expressed concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program and its internal instability. Beijing said the Congress had certain economic impacts. Pyongyang has recently begun to ease its economic policies. But observers in Paris said they do not expect any major political change in North Korea. US media described Pyongyang’ s fresh proposal of nuclear talks as positive, helping to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsular and thaw the US-North Korea relations. Several commentators urged the US government to apply more flexible and creative methods in dealing with North Korea.
The 7th Congress of the North Korean Workers’ Party was held with leader Kim Jong-un about to complete his 5th year in power. Hopefully, North Korea will come to embrace a world free from nuclear weapons.