Summary of domestic news in North Korea this week

SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of domestic news in North Korea this week.

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N.K. revises party rules to highlight importance of powerful defense capabilities

SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has clarified the importance of powerful defense capabilities in containing military threats in its revised rules for the ruling Workers' Party, state media reported Sunday.

The revision was adopted at the fifth-day session of the eighth party congress in Pyongyang on Saturday, a day after leader Kim Jong-un defined the United States as the country's "foremost principal enemy" and vowed to bolster its nuclear arsenal, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"(The preface) clearly clarified that powerful defense capabilities would fundamentally contain military threats and safeguard the stability and peaceful environment of the Korean peninsula," the report said.

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N. Korea crowns leader Kim Jong-un as party's general secretary

SEOUL, Jan. 11 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has endorsed leader Kim Jong-un as the general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party at its ongoing congress, state media said Monday, in an apparent move to tighten his grip on power.

The election took place at the sixth-day session of the party's eighth congress in Pyongyang on Sunday, following the North's revision of party rules to reinstate the secretariat system that was scrapped in 2016, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"The 8th Congress ... unanimously adopted a decision on electing Kim Jong-un as general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea in reflection of the unanimous will and desire of all the delegates and other Party members, all the people and service personnel of the People's Army," the report said.

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Signs detected of N. Korea staging military parade in Pyongyang late Sunday: JCS

SEOUL, Jan. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military said Monday that it has detected signs indicating that North Korea carried out a military parade in time for a ruling party congress in Pyongyang late Sunday.

The North has been holding the eighth congress of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang since Tuesday, and the possibility has been raised that it could stage a military parade on the occasion.

"Our military detected signs that North Korea held a military parade related to the party congress at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang late at night yesterday," the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a release.

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N. Korea invites guests to celebrations of party congress, possibly including military parade

SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) -- Officials and other guests have been invited to "celebrations" arranged to mark the ongoing party congress, Pyongyang's media reported Tuesday, raising the possibility that Pyongyang might be preparing to hold a military parade.

On Monday, Seoul's military officials said signs were detected that the North carried out a military parade in central Pyongyang Sunday night in time for the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party, which has been under way since its opening last week.

State media, however, have not reported on such an event yet, spawning speculation that it might have been a rehearsal and a military parade could take place in the days to come. North Korea has usually broadcast live or aired recorded footage of military parades later.

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N.K. leader's sister slams S. Korea over closely tracking military parade

SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un harshly criticized South Korea's military for closely tracking its military parade believed to have taken place in Pyongyang to celebrate a rare party congress.

On Monday, Seoul's military officials said signs were detected that the North carried out a military parade in central Pyongyang Sunday night in time for the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party, which has been under way since its opening last week.

"What is weird is that the joint chiefs of staff of South Korea made a senseless statement that they captured the north opening a military parade at midnight on Jan. 10 and they are in the middle of making precision tracking," Kim Yo-jong was quoted as saying in a statement released by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday.

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N. Korea to convene Supreme People's Assembly meeting this weekend

SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea plans to convene a parliamentary session in Pyongyang over the weekend in an apparent bid to follow up on decisions made during a recent ruling party congress, state media said Wednesday.

The North is set to hold a session of its rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) on Sunday, after it wrapped up the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party on Tuesday, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The SPA is the highest organ of power under the constitution, but it rubber-stamps decisions by the ruling party. It usually holds a plenary session in March or April to deal mainly with budget and cabinet reshuffles.

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N. Korea holds military parade, showcases new SLBM

SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Yonhap) -- North Korea held a military parade Thursday evening in central Pyongyang to celebrate the recently concluded party congress, showing off its state-of-the-art weapons, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), state media reported Friday.

The parade held in Kim Il-sung square came after Pyongyang wrapped up its eight-day congress of the ruling Workers' Party on Tuesday, at which leader Kim Jong-un pledged to bolster the nuclear arsenal of the country.

North Korea appears to aim at upping the ante ahead of next week's inauguration of Joe Biden as new president of the United States amid uncertainty over Washington's policy direction on currently stalled denuclearization talks.
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