Page 27 - 2020 Defence White Paper
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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 inf ow 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 inf ow 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
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