Kim Jong-un Criticizes Passive and Self-Preserving Attitudes of North Korean Party Officials

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] It was reported on the 9th that Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, warned about the passive and self-protective tendencies of officials regarding this year's economic plan at the plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee.

Experts interpreted this as reflecting Kim's strong will to achieve the newly adopted national economic development 5-year plan goals from the 8th Party Congress this year, along with the recognition that failure to meet these goals could pose a crisis to the regime.

On the same day, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, "According to the decision of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee, the 2nd plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Party was convened on the 8th to review and decide on the 2021 business plans of various sectors to thoroughly implement the strategic tasks presented by the 8th Party Congress." General Secretary Kim led the plenary meeting and presented reports on detailed business plans and their execution for this year.

Kim Jong-un stated, "Since the decisions of the Party Congress are medium- to long-term tasks to be carried out in various fields over the next five years, it is necessary at this plenary meeting to scrutinize this year's business plans in detail, fix them as decisions of the Party Central Committee, and disseminate them." He added, "We must seriously study the issue of thoroughly overcoming negative factors that hinder socialist construction at this stage and enhancing the combat functions and roles of Party organizations."

The news agency conveyed that "(Kim Jong-un) especially expressed the Party Central Committee's determination and will to take important measures to provide the people with more stable and improved living conditions by pushing forward economic construction even amid the ongoing emergency epidemic prevention situation."

Kim also pointed out problems that arose during the process of setting economic goals. KCNA reported that Kim sharply criticized "the passive and self-protective tendencies that appeared in the process of setting this year's struggle targets by the state economic guidance organs."

He further added, "Participants in the meeting seriously blamed themselves for failing to properly implement the spirit of the Party Congress from the first year of the new 5-year plan operation and for not living up to the high expectations of the Party and the people."

In his report, Kim set the metal industry and chemical industry as the "core links of the people's economy," focusing investment and promoting the expansion of steel and chemical fertilizer production projects. He also specified this year's targets for the power, coal industries, railway transportation, construction materials, light industry, and commerce sectors.

The meeting was attended by members and candidate members of the Party Central Committee, deputy directors of specialized Party departments, committee members of the Cabinet, Party and administrative heads of provinces and central organs, heads of provincial guidance organs, secretaries of city and county Party committees, and Party and administrative heads of important factories and enterprises as observers.

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said, "Kim Jong-un's purpose is to encourage Party officials to make efforts regarding the tasks he presented at the Party Congress, especially the economic projects of the 5-year plan." He added, "Since external and inter-Korean messages may also be issued when the results of the Party plenary meeting are announced in the future, it will be necessary to continue monitoring closely."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.