October 03, 2023
Analysis

From COVID to nukes: What to expect at North Korea’s upcoming party plenum

Virus response and economy likely top priorities at major meeting, though Kim Jong Un may comment on foreign relations

North Korea’s ruling party is scheduled to hold a major party plenum this week, where leader Kim Jong Un and top officials are expected to discuss issues from economic targets to the country’s COVID-19 outbreak and possibly even military or foreign affairs.

State media announced last month that the Fifth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee will be held in the “first third of June,” specifically to explore the “execution of the Party and state policies” in the first half of 2022 and “discuss and decide a series of important issues.”