Kim Jong Un gathers North Korea’s ruling elite for key party meeting
Top North Korean figures gather for rare meeting
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un convened a high-level meeting of the Workers' Party's Central Committee on Tuesday to prepare for the party's first full congress in five years.
- The plenary session discussed unspecified key issues for the upcoming congress, expected in January or February, and reviewed this year's state policies.
- This significant gathering takes place as both the United States and South Korea are attempting to resume diplomatic talks with Pyongyang, which have been rebuffed since 2019.
- International observers will be watching the congress for any indication from Kim Jong Un regarding a response to Washington and Seoul's efforts to improve ties.
- Kim previously suggested a return to talks if the US abandons its “delusional obsession with denuclearisation”, while South Korea reported North Korean artillery fire on Tuesday.