▲ This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Feb. 28, 2023, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un speaking at the second-day session of a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) over agriculture the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) N Korea-party meeting

(LEAD) N. Korean leader calls for 'radical change' in agricultural output within few years

(ATTN: UDPATES with comments from Seoul official in paras 7-8)

SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for a "radical change" in agricultural production within a few years, attending the second-day session of a key party meeting, Pyongyang's state media said Tuesday.

The North's leader stressed the need to find ways for "stable and sustained development of agriculture" during the plenary meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) held the previous day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The rare party meeting came as the North's food situation appears to be worsening amid deepening economic hardships caused by border lockdowns to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and global sanctions on its nuclear and missile programs.

The main purpose of the meeting is to find ways "with perfect feasibility for successfully attaining the grain production goal this year and bringing about a radical change in the agricultural production within a few years," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA in an English-language dispatch.

The report did not elaborate on what specific measures should be taken to bring about the fundamental change in agricultural output.

Participants also discussed ways to establish disciplines of the national economic plan and improve state financial projects at the meeting, the KCNA said. It said they've decided to adopt a resolution after working on its draft, indicating it is expected to be adopted at the close of the meeting Tuesday.

An official at South Korea's unification ministry said Pyongyang "appears to be discussing a wide range of issues, including agendas related to food and agriculture, and economic issues."

In a rare move, officials from the agriculture sector were seen seated in the front row of the podium at the meeting, the ministry official added. The North's officials included Ri Chol-man, director of the WPK's agriculture department, and Ju Chol-gyu, chairman of the Cabinet's Agriculture Committee.

The North earlier said it is "very important and urgent" to establish the "correct strategy" for agricultural development.

The ministry earlier said the North's food crisis appears to be worsening, with more deaths from starvation being reported recently in "some regions."

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