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North Korea Convenes Party Meeting, Raising Fears of New Weapons Tests North Korea Leader Urges ‘Offensive Measures’ at Top Party Meeting
(about 16 hours later)
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said on Sunday that a meeting of top party officials was in session, as analysts in the South and the United States watched closely for signs of a major policy shift before a self-imposed Dec. 31 deadline to end nuclear talks with Washington. SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, called for “offensive measures” to strengthen security at a meeting of senior officials, the state-run media reported on Monday, a day before a North Korean-imposed deadline for Washington to make concessions in stalled nuclear talks.
The meeting, called by Kim Jong-un, the North’s leader, was convened to discuss the “harsh trials and difficulties” the country faces “in the building of the state and national defense,” the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on Sunday. Mr. Kim's comments came at a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party, which was convened over the weekend amid North Korean warnings that it was prepared to abandon diplomacy and resume nuclear and long-range missile tests.
The news agency said “important policy issues for new victory in our revolution under the present situation” were adopted as agenda items, but provided no further details. On Sunday, the second day of the meeting, Mr. Kim emphasized “the need to take positive and offensive measures for fully ensuring the sovereignty and security of the country as required by the present situation,” according to the North’s official Korean Central News Agency.
Since North Korea warned of a “Christmas gift” for the United States, officials and analysts have feared the North might signal an end to its moratorium on weapons testing before the end of the year. To that end, Mr. Kim outlined “the duties of the fields of foreign affairs, munitions industry and armed forces,” the news agency reported. It provided no clarifications, including whether North Korea would officially lift its moratorium on testing intercontinental ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons.
As one of the highest decision-making bodies in North Korea, the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party usually rubber-stamps any policy proposed by Mr. Kim, who rules with totalitarian control of the party, the military and all other levers of power. Washington has dismissed the Dec. 31 deadline imposed by North Korea as “artificial,” and has urged Pyongyang to maintain a dialogue and not revert to the provocations that had raised fears of war on the Korean Peninsula two years ago.
After months of stalled negotiations with Washington over ending its weapons programs in exchange for lifting crippling United Nations sanctions, North Korea has warned in recent weeks that it could soon resume tests aimed at bolstering its missile and nuclear weapons capabilities. But Mr. Kim’s remarks about “offensive measures” indicated that North Korea was shifting to a harder line amid faltering diplomacy with Washington.
Mr. Kim is scheduled to deliver an annual speech on New Year’s Day, in which any new policy might ultimately be announced. President Trump, who has met with the North Korean leader at two summit meetings, has repeatedly cited his “good relationship” with him — at one point, he said he and Mr. Kim “fell in love.” He has frequently cited the North’s testing moratorium as evidence that his policy of engaging with North Korea is working.
North Korea has not been explicit about what might happen after the Dec. 31 deadline expires, but Mr. Kim has warned of finding a “new way” if Washington does not remove the economic sanctions that have crippled his country’s economy or if it tries to force an unpalatable denuclearization deal.
The North Korean leader is set to deliver an annual speech on New Year’s Day, and analysts say he may officially reveal a major policy shift to be adopted at the party’s Central Committee. The committee is one of the highest decision-making bodies in North Korea, but it usually rubber-stamps any policy proposed by Mr. Kim, who rules with totalitarian control of the party, the military and all other levers of power.
The party meeting was set to continue on Monday, and cover a variety of domestic and external issues, such as how to revive the country’s agriculture and other moribund industries, the news agency reported.
Since assuming power in 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un has accelerated his country’s nuclear weapons and missile programs. North Korea has conducted four of its six underground nuclear tests since 2011, and it conducted three intercontinental ballistic missile tests in 2017.Since assuming power in 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un has accelerated his country’s nuclear weapons and missile programs. North Korea has conducted four of its six underground nuclear tests since 2011, and it conducted three intercontinental ballistic missile tests in 2017.
But at a Central Committee meeting in April 2018, Mr. Kim declared that since successfully building a nuclear weapon, the North Korea would shift its focus to economic development and halt all nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. But at a Central Committee meeting in April 2018, Mr. Kim declared that with its nuclear force successfully built, North Korea would shift its focus to economic development and halt all nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests.
Two months later, he met President Trump in Singapore for the first summit meeting between the sitting leaders of North Korea and the United States. Two months later, he met Mr. Trump in Singapore for the first summit meeting between the sitting leaders of North Korea and the United States. Afterward, North Korea sounded victorious, and Mr. Kim promised to “work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” Mr. Trump in turn promised the North security guarantees and “new” relations.
North Korea sounded victorious after the Singapore summit, in which Mr. Kim promised to “work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” while Mr. Trump promised the North security guarantees and “new” relations. But the mood soon soured when both governments began negotiating the details of what​ incentives Washington should offer in return for the North’s denuclearization and the timeline for doing so. But the mood soon soured as the governments began negotiating the details of what incentives Washington should offer in return for the North’s denuclearization and the timeline for doing so. The North demanded the immediate lifting of United Nations sanctions. Washington, however, insisted that North Korea first dismantle its nuclear program.
The North demanded the immediate lifting of United Nations sanctions that it blames for stifling the growth of its economy. Washington, however, insisted that North Korea first dismantle its nuclear program. The second meeting between Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump, held in Vietnam in February, ended without an agreement. A second meeting between Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump, held in Vietnam in February, ended without an agreement, and North Korea later warned that Washington must offer a “new calculation” and create a breakthrough in the stalled negotiations by the end of the year.
North Korea has since ​warned that Washington must offer a “new calculation” and create a breakthrough in the stalled negotiations​ ​by ​the end of the year​. Otherwise, it said it would “find a new way.” The country has resumed weapons tests, launching 27 mostly short-range ballistic missiles and rockets since May and warning of more provocative tests to come. ​ ​ Turning up the pressure, the North has resumed weapons tests, launching 27 mostly short-range ballistic missiles and rockets since May and warning of more provocative tests to come. It warned this month that it was entirely up to the Trump administration “what Christmas gift it will select to get,” and conducted two ground tests at its missile engine test site to bolster what it called its “nuclear deterrent.”
After Washington dismissed the North’s Dec. 31 deadline as “artificial,” North Korea warned this month that it was entirely up to the Trump administration “what Christmas gift it will select to get.” ​This month, it conducted two ground tests at its missile engine test site to bolster what it called its “nuclear deterrent​.” But Christmas Day passed without any long-range missile or nuclear test by North Korea.
Such threats raised fears that North Korea might resume long-range or nuclear tests, ending the moratorium, which Mr. Trump has hailed as his greatest foreign-policy achievement. ​ But Christmas ​Day ​passed without any long-range missile or nuclear test by North Korea. In recent weeks, North Korean officials have suggested that they have all but concluded that there is little point in continuing negotiations with the politically vulnerable Mr. Trump.
Mr. Kim is still widely expected to threaten a harder-line approach to the United States during the Central Committee plenum and his New Year’s speech. Analysts fear that such a policy shift could presage more weapons tests and rekindle tensions on the Korean Peninsula in coming weeks and months, while Mr. Trump remained entangled in an impeachment trial in the United States Senate and a re-election campaign. They have hardened their position, vowing to keep denuclearization off the table until Washington first revoked its entire “hostile policy,” including ending joint annual military exercises with South Korea. And they have also reverted to calling Mr. Trump insulting names, among them “dotard.”
In recent weeks, North Korean officials have suggested that they have all but concluded there was little point in continuing negotiations with the politically vulnerable Mr. Trump. They also hardened their position, vowing to keep denuclearization off the table until Washington first revoked its entire “hostile policy,” including ending joint annual military exercises with South Korea.
Officials also reverted to again calling Mr. Trump insulting names, such as a “dotard.”