FILE PHOTO: In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during a Politburo meeting of the ruling Workers Party in Pyongyang, North Korea on June 29, 2021. Kim ripped into senior ruling party and government officials over what he described as a serious lapse in national efforts to fend off COVID-19. At the end of 2019, Kim presided over a four-day party plenary session and accused Washington of "hostile acts" against Pyongyang. The country's economy is also expected to be high on the agenda at the upcoming meeting as North Korea is struggling from crippling sanctions and a protracted border closure due to Covid-19. The party session also comes as the North is set to mark the 10th anniversary of Kim's rise to power.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 25, 2021 11:38 UTC