North Korea's Kim kicks off key party meeting ahead of New Year

The Sixth Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) was convened on Monday (December 26), the official KCNA news agency said.

The days-long gathering of party and government officials caps a year when the isolated country fired an unprecedented number of missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).

A new round of tension flared on Monday as five North Korean drones crossed into South Korea, prompting Seoul to scramble fighter jets and attack helicopters, and open fire to try to shoot them down.

Kim also faces mounting economic challenges amid international sanctions over its weapons programs, the fallout from an anti-coronavirus lockdown and natural disasters.

At the meeting, the participants approved five big agenda items including a review of the implementation of major policies and the budget for 2022, as well as the work plan and a draft budget for 2023.

Reuters