North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to preside over a major policy-setting meeting in coming days with renewed power, owing to advances by his country’s military and economy that allow him to rebuff U.S. pressure to wind down his nuclear arms programs.
Kim’s ruling Workers’ Party of Korea will hold a plenary session of its Central Committee before the end of the year where it will lay out a path for 2024, state media has reported. While no dates have been given, in the past few years the event has taken place over several days in the last week on the calendar.
Kim is arguably at the peak of his power since he took office about a dozen years ago, with arms transfers to Russia in recent months likely boosting his sanctions-hit economy. His weapons program has also made significant gains that included the test this month of a new missile designed to deliver a warhead to the U.S. mainland, and the apparent commission of a long-stalled nuclear reactor that could significantly add to plutonium production.