N. Korea set to convene plenary meeting of ruling party this week

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, center, presiding over a politburo meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, is seen in this image captured from footage of North Korea's Korea Central Television, Dec. 2.

North Korea is set to hold a key party meeting this week amid expectations that its leader Kim Jong-un will likely reaffirm a hard-line stance against the United States and unveil plans to strengthen its military capabilities.

The North's state media earlier reported the country will convene the ninth plenary meeting of the eighth central committee of the ruling Workers' Party late in December to review this year's state policies and set policy goals for next year. It did not elaborate on when the meeting would be held.

In recent years, the North's leader has used a year-end party plenary meeting as a venue to deliver his major speech to replace his annual New Year's Day address.

Experts said Kim is widely expected to use the upcoming meeting to deliver a hostile message against the U.S. and South Korea and lay out a set of measures to bolster its military capabilities, including a detailed plan to launch additional military spy satellites.

North Korea has vowed to strengthen solidarity with countries standing against the U.S. and is seeking to bolster its ties with China, the North's main economic benefactor, and Russia amid strengthening security cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.

In particular, North Korea has been bolstering its military cooperation with Russia this year following the summit between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September.

The U.S. and South Korea suspected that Pyongyang has supplied artillery and munitions to Moscow for use in Russia's war in Ukraine. In return, North Korea might have received technical assistance from Russia for its launch of a military spy satellite.

Last month, North Korea put a military spy satellite into orbit after two failed attempts in May and August. North Korea said it will launch more of such satellites in a short span of time and decide on a spy satellite launch plan for 2024 at the upcoming key party meeting.

Last year, North Korea laid out 12 major economic goals for this year, placing top priority on boosting grain production amid the country's food shortages. (Yonhap)

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