This undated picture released by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's official Korean Central News Agency via KNS on Dec 31, 2023 shows the DPRK's leader Kim Jong-un (center) taking part in the 9th Plenary Session of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea at the Party's Central Committee headquarters building in Pyongyang. (PHOTO BY KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)

SEOUL - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has wrapped up a key year-end meeting of its ruling party arranged for reviewing state policies this year and unveiling work orientation for the coming year, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sunday.

The 9th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) concluded on Saturday in Pyongyang, the KCNA said, with WPK General Secretary Kim Jong-un presiding over the five-day event and delivering addresses.

As for priority tasks in the coming year, Kim called on the military industrial sector to implement the ruling party's strategy for national defense, urged the space development sector to launch three more reconnaissance satellites and set key goals for missile research and production

In a summary of the achievements this year, Kim said the gross domestic product grew by 1.4 times compared to 2020, and grain production exceeded the target.

Kim praised the achievements in various economic sectors, as well as in housing construction and scientific development over the past year.

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As for priority tasks in the coming year, Kim called on the military industrial sector to implement the ruling party's strategy for national defense, urged the space development sector to launch three more reconnaissance satellites and set key goals for missile research and production.

He also laid out tasks for "revolutionizing" warship-building capacity to enhance the underwater and surface combat power of the DPRK navy and developing and manufacturing various kinds of unmanned military hardware and electronic warfare means.

On the situation in the peninsula, Kim lashed out at the United States and its followers for their "unprecedented" confrontation against the DPRK, saying the moves by the United States, South Korea and Japan are "driving the situation in the peninsula into more unpredictable and critical conditions", the KCNA said.

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The prevailing grave situation requires the DPRK to steadily step up the work for getting the overwhelming war response capability and the comprehensive military combat readiness to deter any form of provocation, he said.

On the inter-Korean relations, the DPRK leader underscored an urgency for his country "to adopt a new stand on the north-south relations and the reunification policy."

"The north-south relations have been completely fixed into the relations between two states hostile to each other and the relations between two belligerent states, not the consanguineous or homogeneous ones any more," Kim said.