As North Korea prepares for the first Workers’ Party Congress in over 30 years, many experts are fearful of the actions of leader Kim Jong-un.
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In an interview with the AP, North Korea offered to halt its nuclear test if the US and South Korea would suspend defensive drills.
North Korea has come under increasing worldwide pressure due to its continued work on nuclear and missile programs. Iran has also violated a U.N. Security Council resolution by conducting at least two sets of ballistic missile tests that were inherently capable of delivering nuclear weapons. It is thought that Kim Jong-un will use the party congress to cement his leadership.
The congress, a gathering of the political party through which Kim and his family have asserted power for decades, has been meticulously staged, with North Korean workers on adjusted schedules as they boost production and beautify Pyongyang in preparation. The last congress was held in October 1980 under North Korean founder Kim Il Sung, which formalized his son Kim Jong-il, the current leader’s father, as his chosen successor.
North Korea has also invited foreign media to cover the party congress, but journalists will be monitored closely. “Perhaps this was supposed to be a warning to North Korea, but if this reflects attitudes inside the U.S. government, you can’t help but be concerned”, Seo said.
More than 3,000 delegates attended.
Movement into and out of the reclusive nation’s capital has been expressly forbidden, while the Pyongyang populace, already used to intensive surveillance of their every move, has been subjected to an increase in inspections and property searches, according to the Daily NK.
“The real source of power in our country isn’t nuclear weapons or any other military means, but the single-minded unity of the people and the leader”, Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong told the AP in an interview last week.
In Pyongyang, the dictator is also strong-arming the North Korean citizens by limiting travel and banning big events such as weddings and funerals.
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“The number of non-smokers is remarkably increasing with each passing day”, KCNA said, adding the number of male smokers was 8 percent lower in 2013 compared with four years earlier.
