The North Korean Intensive Training Focused on Naechi and Public Sentiment Ends... North Korea's Version of 'Strategic Patience'?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The training session held by the Workers' Party of North Korea, which gathered city and county cadres to the central level, concluded after four days. Through the closing speech, Party General Secretary Kim Jong-un emphasized the "spirit of serving the people." Experts analyze that this training session, which focused solely on domestic affairs without any external messages, represents North Korea's version of "strategic patience."

According to the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers' Party of North Korea, on the 7th, General Secretary Kim emphasized in his closing speech, "Let us become truly loyal and faithful messengers genuinely recognized by the great people we serve."

Kim stated, "City and county party secretaries must possess an unconditional spirit of service to the people, organizational development skills and practical abilities befitting cadres responsible for regional strongholds of socialist construction, and noble moral character," adding, "Let us strive with one heart and one mind to ensure that the decisions made at the 8th Party Congress are brilliantly implemented and remain a lasting part of history."

He continued, "City and county party secretaries must fulfill their responsibilities and roles in innovating party work and strengthening and developing cities and counties based on the strategic and tactical guidelines and struggle tasks specified in this training session," emphasizing, "We must bring about clear changes and achievements that the people welcome and can feel."

During the training session, it was also stressed that "secretaries must always value public sentiment and receive evaluations of their work from the people," highlighting the importance of paying attention to public opinion.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Immediately after the training session ended, General Secretary Kim took commemorative photos with the participating provincial, city, and county party secretaries, unusually taking a seat in the third row rather than the front row. This is interpreted as a demonstration of trust in the party organization.

Throughout the four-day training session, North Korea showed a thorough focus on domestic affairs, such as the connection between the central and local levels and the management of public sentiment by local cadres. No external messages regarding the United States or others were issued.

Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies said, "This training session established an important opportunity to control local areas and enable strong centralized governance," adding, "Considering the trend of strengthening domestic affairs spreading to the military, cabinet, and local organizations, this year's approach to South Korea and external relations appears to be a deliberate disregard, consistently following North Korea's version of 'strategic patience.'"

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