North Korean leader raps economic agencies for 'passive, self

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during a Workers' Party meeting on Monday, state media reported Tuesday. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un rapped economic agencies for "passive and self-protecting tendencies" as he held a Workers' Party meeting to finalize this year's plans to carry out policy goals set forth at last month's rare party congress, state media said Tuesday.

The North unveiled a new five-year economic development plan at the eighth congress of the party last month, with a focus on self-reliance in the face of the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and global sanctions on its regime.

On Monday, leader Kim attended the second plenary meeting of the party's 8th Central Committee to push ahead with "strategic tasks" set forth during the party congress, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

During the meeting, Kim delivered a report on implementing the first year's tasks of the five-year economic plan and "evinced the determination and will of the Party Central Committee" to push forward the economic construction "despite the persistent emergency anti-epidemic situation," the KCNA said.

In particular, Kim criticized "passive and self-protecting tendencies revealed by the state economic guidance organs" in setting this year's goals and stressed the "principled matters for overcoming the tendencies and organizing the economic work in an innovative and meticulous way."

In the report, Kim urged increased production of iron, steel and chemical fertilizer, calling them the "main link in the chain of national economy." He laid out this year's economic goals in key industrial fields, including electric power, coal, railway transport, construction materials, light industry and commerce.

A plenary session of the Central Committee usually takes place at least once a year to decide its key policy line, organization reshuffles and other major issues.

The first plenary meeting of the party committee was held last month during the party congress.

The KCNA did not provide information on when Tuesday's plenary meeting will end. (Yonhap)