North Korea's Kim thanks people in rare New Year cards
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North Korea's Kim thanks people in rare New Year cards


North Korean leader Kim Jong Un thanked the public for their trust and support “in the difficult times” and wished them happiness and good health in his first New Years Day cards sent to his people.

Kim usually gives a televised speech on Jan. 1, but he is widely expected to skip the speech this year since he will address the countrys first ruling party congress in five years sometime in early January.

“I will work hard to bring earlier the new era in which the ideals and desires of our people will come true,” Kim said in his letter, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

“I offer thanks to the people for having invariably trusted and supported our party even in the difficult times,” he said. “I sincerely wish all the families across the country greater happiness and beloved people, good health.” North Korea is one of the worlds most cloistered countries, and its virtually impossible to independently confirm whether its 25 million people received Kims cards. The cards reportedly were the first a leader sent to North Koreans since 1995.

Kim, who succeeded his father as North Korean leader in 2011, is facing the toughest challenges of his nine-year rule due to the pandemic, several natural disasters last summer and the stalemate over US-led sanctions and his nuclear weapons program.

Kim will likely use the Workers Party congress as a venue to muster a stronger unity and lay out new development goals for the next few years, experts say.

The Congress, the first in kind since 2006, is officially the partys top decision-making body though real day-to-day decisions are made by Kim and his close associates. The rubberstamp body of delegates to the congress is expected to endorse Kims new initiatives without major debates.

State media said North Korea planned to hold the congress early this month but didnt specify the dates. In 2006, the congress was held for four days.

Marking the new years start, a large crowd of people packed Pyongyangs main square to watch fireworks, a concert and a flag-hoisting ceremony. State TV showed the people, wearing masks and heavy coats, waved their hands while standing close together.

North Korea has steadfastly claimed to coronavirus-free – an assertion doubted by outsiders. But experts also say any outbreak likely wasnt widespread and so North Korea considered it safe to hold big events like the party congress in Pyongyang.


(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)

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