North Korean leader Kim Jong Un holds party meeting ahead of US deadline

Ahead of the year-end deadline set by North Korea for United Stats to reduce tariffs and carry out parallel denuclearization, Kim Jong-un convened a meeting of top ruling party officials on December 28 to discuss important policy matters reported the state news agency on December 29. The first-day session of the plenary meeting was arranged to discuss important matters arising in the party building and activities and in the building of the state and national defence, the agency wrote. As Kim is the chairman of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the immediate orientation of the struggle of the WPK and the state and important policy issues for new victory in our revolution under the present situation were brought up as agendas of the plenary meeting, the report added.

There were no further details of the meeting, but it said the meeting will be continued. The meeting follows the ruling Workers' Party's Central Military Meeting to discuss boosting the country's military capability which was held a week ago. The meets were previously disclosed by the North Korean government earlier this month when it said it would hold a plenary session of its ruling party sometime this month to discuss and decide on crucial issues due to the changed situation at home and abroad, without elaborating in its official statement. 

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Nuclear talks stalled

North Korea had warned that it might just have a "Christmas gift" for the US and the nature of the gift will depend on the US' actions. Nuclear talks between the two states have been stalled since the February summit between leaders US pResident Donald Trump and Kim apart. Last week, Trump took a dig at Kim Jong Un saying the latter must be planning to gift something ‘nice’ such as a “beautiful vase” and not a missile launch. Just after Christmas week, US flew four surveillance planes over the Korean Peninsula. 

Read: US Flies 4 Spy Planes Over Korean Peninsula After North Korea's 'Christmas Gift' Threat

The four aircraft, namely RC-135W Rivet Joint, E-8C, RQ-4 Global Hawk and RC-135S Cobra Ball, were believed to have "carried out missions over and around the Korean Peninsula", South Korean news agency reported.

Read: Donald Trump Hopeful Of Nice 'Christmas Gift' From North Korea

Speculations are rife that North Korea might test an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. South Korean troops and the United States special forces reportedly conducted drills simulating the infiltration of an enemy facility as tensions with North Korea rise ahead of a year-end deadline. North Korea had recently conducted a nuclear test at the Sohae launch site by going against the process of denuclearisation which drew ire of Trump administration. A new structure was spotted in a satellite image of a factory where North Korea makes military equipment used in the launch of long-range missiles. The image, which was taken on December 19, shows the March 16 Factory near Pyongyang where North Korea manufactures trucks used as mobile launchers for its long-range missiles. 

Read: New Structure Seen At Missile Equipment Production Site In North Korea