Page 27 - 2020 Defence White Paper

of an independent economic foundation" at the 4th Plenary Meeting of the 7th
Central Committee on April 10, 2019, and once again stressed that economic Chapter 1
sanctions should be overcome through "self-reliance" during a keynote address at
the Supreme People’s Assembly for the first time since taking office on April 12.
Accordingly, in order to achieve progress on "the five-year strategy for national
economic development", the mobilization of the military was expanded to major
construction projects such as Samjiyeon District, Yangdok Hot Spring Cultural
Recreation Center, Wonsan-Galma Tourist Zone, and Eurangcheon Power Plant
under the slogan "Let the People’s Army take charge of both fatherland security and
socialist construction".
Meanwhile, as the deadlock was prolonged after the breakdown of the US–North
Korea denuclearization negotiations in 2019, North Korea presented a "frontal
breakthrough" focusing on "economic construction" while maintaining its "nuclear
deterrence mobilization posture" as a new strategic line through the 5th Plenary
Meeting of the 7th Central Committee in late December.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Pyongyang switched to the national
emergency quarantine system at the end of January to control its border and
movement of residents, making efforts to block the inflow and spread of COVID-19.
To this end, a series of policy meetings were convened to realign and refine
quarantine measures and regulations to block infectious diseases while emphasizing
the implementation of a strict quarantine system. In July in particular, Pyongyang
held an emergency meeting of the General Political Bureau, ordering a complete
shutdown of Kaesong City. It has also strengthened the national emergency

quarantine system, fearing possible inflow of COVID-19 by North Korean defectors
who re-entered the country.
The prolonged sanctions and increased economic hardship due to the pandemic
and massive damage caused by torrential rains and typhoons in the summer have
intensified the residents’ difficulties, making it difficult for the North Korean
government to achieve the national goals set at the beginning of the year. As a
result, Pyongyang made efforts to complete the disaster recovery project earlier
by mobilizing the members of Workers’ Party and military units on a large scale,
emphasizing the unity of the "party-military-people".
Chairman Kim emphasized "the great people of the country" in his speech at
a military parade to celebrate the 75th anniversary of establishment of the Party
and expressed numerous times his gratitude to the residents who had overcome
COVID-19 and the disasters.
North Korea is expected to continue emphasizing self-reliance to overcome the

Chapter 1. Changes and Challenges in the Security Environment 25