DPRK's ruling party holds meeting on new department

PYONGYANG - Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), presided over a meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) on Wednesday to establish a new division and improve the party's functions, official media reported Thursday.

The Fourth Meeting of the Executive Policy Council of the Seventh WPK Central Committee discussed the issue of setting up a new department within the Central Committee and the ways to improve the party's personnel affairs system, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. It did not give further details about the new department.

At the meeting, "Kim Jong-un called upon the members of the Executive Policy Council to decisively improve the work of the fields in their charge by displaying high sense of responsibility and devotion," according to the KCNA report.

Members at the meeting also heard a report on the anti-epidemic work and the situation in Kaesong City, which is completely locked down under the state's maximum emergency system, and decided to provide special supply of food and funds to the city to stabilize the living of its citizens, the report said.

Kim placed Kaesong near the border with South Korea under total lockdown on July 25 after a person there was found with suspected COVID-19 symptoms, though the official media said a few days later that no confirmed case was reported in the country. Currently, Kaesong is still under lockdown, with "the maximum emergency system" being carried out in the whole country to stem the epidemic.

Xinhua