N. KOREA’S WORKER’S PARTY CONVENTION ENDS

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea's largest political event, the Workers' Party convention, drew to a close on Tuesday. Kim Jong-un has been promoted to the post of general secretary, the same post his father assumed during his lifetime. The North Korean leader has vowed to bolster nuclear war deterrence and military capabilities.

[Pkg]

North Korea's Workers' Party convention ended on Tuesday after an eight-day run. Despite COVID-19, it was the second longest convention held in the regime's history. Kim Jong-un, now the party's general secretary, vowed to increase nuclear war deterrence and beef up military capabilities. He called for bolstering the military's defense capabilities so that it can respond to any threat and carry out its role. Kim also outlined a five-year economic plan. He ordered officials to normalize the metallurgical and chemical industries, localize raw materials for light industries, and develop science and technology to improve people's lives and boost the economy. In a few days, the North is to hold the Supreme People's Assembly, an equivalent of South Korea's National Assembly. The Korean Central News Agency says the 14th Supreme People's Assembly will take place in Pyongyang on January 17. Its goal is to verify decisions reached at the Workers' Party convention, such as organizational structure and enactment of laws related to the five-year economic development plan. Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, has issued a statement unleashing criticism at the South Korean military. She blasted the Joint Chiefs of Staff for "openly showing hostility" by closely following the regime's military parade held on January 10.