Pyongyang organizes task force to achieve successful party congress despites international pressure
Pyongyang, via the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper, reported on Thursday that there will be a 70-day campaign to prepare the Seventh Congress of the Workers Party of Korea (WPK) in early May.
The paper emphasized that outside pressure is responsible for the country’s harsh conditions and asserted the importance of ideological fortification, as well as an increase in production.
“There is a rule which accelerates our revolution: A revolution proceeds more powerfully in severe times, rather than in peaceful days,” reads the article on the second page entitled “Let’s win the victory in the 70 days of battle.”
One day before the report, the Politburo of the WPK adopted a letter to all party members, Korea Central News Agency reported. The meeting declared the organization of the leadership to ensure a successful “70-day battle.”
“Under current conditions when U.S. imperialism and its followers are desperate to squeeze our socialism system, the devotion of all party members is a protest boasting of our strength,” the letter asserted.
North Korea has previously suggested a “100-day battle” and “150-day battle” in 2009, a “200-day battle” in 1988 and another “100-day battle” in 1980, primarily to concentrate their efforts to increase production for national events.
“This aims at the solidarity of its regime,” Yang Moo-jin, professor at the University of North Korean Studies, told NK News.
The last paragraph of the paper’s article highlighted the “belief of Jagangryeok,” which means self-sustainability, a term which has frequently appeared in North Korean media in recent days. Expertssaid Pyongyang is seeking less dependency on foreign goods and encouraging residents purchase domestic products.
Yang, however, said the impact of the sanction on Pyongyang’s upcoming congress is not confirmed yet before exact level of it is unveiled.
“It is unlikely that China to completely abandon North Korea,” Yang said. “The current media reports are the U.S.’s media play (to raise public opinion in favor of it).”
“North Korea may make a big announcement after the congress, if the sanctions are stronger than expected,” Yang said.
The criticism against the increasing pressure from international society targeted Seoul and Washington, particularly South Korean President Park Geun-hye. The paper devoted all of page five to attacked Park as responsible for destroying inter-Korean relations.
The images of the U.S.S. Pueblo, the U.S. ship captured by Pyongyang in 1968 were featured on on page six, under the title.
The party congress, which was declared on October 30, was scheduled after a 36-year hiatus. North Korea has revealed important transitions through the congress, including Juchization of the whole society on fifth congress in 1970 and the proposed Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo, the unification agenda of the sixth congress in 1980.
Seoul’s National Intelligence Service reported May 7 as the possible date of the congress last week in remarks carried by lawmaker Lee Cheol-woo, a member of the intelligence council of the National Assembly.
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