North Korea held a series of groundbreaking ceremonies for the third year of Kim Jong Un’s flagship rural development project this week, while state media did not report on the start of the Ninth Party Congress despite continuing signs of preparations.

Senior party officials notably skipped the most recent launch event for a 20x10 regional development project, suggesting they are preoccupied with last-minute planning for the congress.

State media highlighted economic and construction achievements throughout the week, as part of the “bold march of the entire people toward the Ninth Party Congress.” Reports emphasized