Date: Monday, December 30, 2019
Time: 10:30-10:42 A.M.
1. Minister's Schedules
Minister Kim Yeon Chul will visit the Seoul National Cemetary on
January 2 at 7:40 A.M., followed by the 2020 government kickoff
meeting at 9 A.M.
2. Vice Minister's Schedules
Vice Minister Suh Ho will visit the Seoul National Cemetary on
January 2 at 7:40 A.M., followed by the 2020 government kickoff
meeting at 9 A.M.
On Friday(1.3), Vice Minister Suh will attend the vice-ministers’
conference at 10 A.M.
3. Q&A (Partial)
Q. The plenary meeting of the North’s party Central Committee was
held over the weekend, and holding the meeting for more than two
consecutive days is quite rare. What is the Ministry’s interpretation
of this prolonged itinerary?
A. Though plenary meetings of the North’s party Central Committee
were held on a one-day itinerary during Kim Jong Un’s rule, there were
many cases of the session lasting more than two days during Kim Il
Sung’s ruling era. It is our understanding that this is based on the
North’s internal political schedule.
Q. Today’s KCNA report notes that Kim Jong Un “emphasiz(ed) the need
to take positive and offensive measures for fully ensuring the
sovereignty and security (of the North).” What does this imply?
A. As of now, we will need to closely analyze what was reported by
the KCNA on the first and second day sessions of the plenary meeting.
I believe you are referring to the part of the report that mentions
duties in the fields of “foreign affairs, munitions industry and armed
forces of the DPRK.” We will keep an eye out for further details
regarding these subjects.
Q. While past meetings saw 200 or so participants, photos of the
sessions held over the weekend seem to show a lot more. Can it be said
that it is the largest in scale? Also, the second-day session of the
plenary meeting focused on economy. What is your view on this?
A. It is true that the scale is larger than that of the meeting held
in April (2019) and 2018. However, it is our understanding that the
plenary meeting of the party Central Committee held in 2013 saw a
similar scale of participants. Until we count each and every one of
those attending the meeting, we cannot say for sure if it is of
largest in scale.
It has been reported by North Korean media that policy directions
and practical ways to develop the economy and people’s standard of
living was discussed at the meeting. As the role and function of the
plenary meeting of the party Central Committee are to devise
directions and policies for the party, diverse ideas can be put on the
agenda for discussion.
With the North reporting on the first-day session that the meeting
was convened to “discuss important matters,” a wide range of subjects
including those concerning the North’s economy can be reviewed. We
will have to closely look into the outcome of the discussions, as well
as the format in which it is made public.
