SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has admitted that his economic development plans have failed as he opens the first full ruling party congress in five years. State media reported Wednesday that Kim vowed to set new goals to lift the country from poverty. The Workers’ Party Congress is one of the North’s biggest propaganda spectacles and is meant to help Kim show his people that he’s firmly in control and boost unity in the face of COVID-19 and other growing economic challenges. But it’s seen as unlikely that the congress will find any fundamental solutions to North Korea’s difficulties, many of which stem from Kim’s headlong pursuit of nuclear weapons meant to pinpoint target the U.S. mainland.
Kim opens North Korean congress by admitting policy failures
