There's speculation North Korea could make a big policy announcement today... as the regime is holding a Workers' Party gathering in Pyongyang on this Friday.
It's the same meeting as the one in 2013 when Kim Jong-un adopted his policy of simultaneously developing the North's economy AND nuclear weapons program.
Let's connect to our unification ministry correspondent Oh Jung-hee on the line...
Jung-hee, under normal circumstances we'd be concerned about the North raising tensions at a meeting like this,... but we could see quite the opposite this time around.
Fill us in on what you are hearing...
Good afternoon, Mark.
The meeting the North is holding today is the third plenary session of its ruling Workers' Party's central committee.
And a major policy change could be made here,... as a report from Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Thursday hinted that the meeting will decide on new policies in line with (quote)"the important historic period."
And that's apparently in reference to the inter-Korean summit only a week away... and the Washington-Pyongyang summit now in the works.
As you mentioned, this is the same kind of meeting with the one held in March 2013, where the Workers' Party adopted Kim Jong-un's signature " Byongjin" policy,... which seeks both nuclear and economic development.
I was able to talk to a few experts, and they say... this meeting could see some changes to that policy... as it comes ahead of the back-to-back summits with Seoul and Washington, which are expected to focus heavily on denuclearization.
Whether the regime will clearly stipulate that it's willing to abandon its nukes is not clear.
But it may stress that the regime's security has to be guaranteed first... or it might choose... not to call itself a 'nuclear state' but a 'strategic country.'
Also the party could show a willingness to improve relations with Seoul, Washington and Tokyo... and seek a peaceful coexistence within the international community.
Pyongyang hopes to use this meeting as a cushion, pundits say... so its officials and citizens are aware of and ready for whatever agreement North Korea reaches with Seoul and Washington in the upcoming summits.
Mark.
