Kim urges party grassroots to overcome challenges

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un spoke to a group of grassroots operatives of the country's ruling Worker's Party, in the opening event of a massive gathering of local party officials from across the country. North Korean state media reported the event, saying that the leader had told the local operatives that it was up to them "to overcome unprecedently numerous challenges" despite what he called "the worst ever situation".

Kim attended the opening of the "6th Conference of Cell Secretaries of the Workers' Party of Korea" on Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency reported early Wednesday. It's common for North Korean media to report news the day after it has happened.

Party cells are the smallest units of party authority, overseeing the work and lives of individual groups of people within a factory, office, or other workplace. This grassroots network is one of the ways that the ruling party perpetuates its power over the country. The previous conference of cell secretaries was held in December 2017.

North Korea is facing even more challenges than usual, after more than a year of international lockdown against COVID-19 and no end in sight. Pyongyang is also in an awkward position in its relations with South Korea, and facing further uncertainty in relations with Washington, as the new U.S. President Joe Biden's administration completes a review of its North Korea policy. 

Image Credits: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP