Summary of domestic news in North Korea this week

NK weekly-domestic news

Summary of domestic news in North Korea this week

SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of domestic news in North Korea this week.

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N.K. leader invites contributors in economic sector to New Year's celebrations

SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has invited people who contributed to attaining this year's key economic goals to Pyongyang for New Year's celebrations, state media reported Friday.

North Korea is preparing to hold celebration events in the capital to mark the start of the new year, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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N. Korea discusses light industry, state budget at party meeting

SEOUL -- North Korea has discussed ways to develop the light industry and reviewed a state budget proposal for next year at a key party meeting, state media reported Friday.

In the third-day session of the plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party on Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for "fresh innovation" in producing necessities for schoolchildren, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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N.K.'s total fertility rate estimated at 1.38, far lower than U.N. estimate: BOK report

SEOUL -- North Korea's total fertility rate is presumed to have been far lower than a U.N. estimate amid a delay in marriages and women's increased economic activities, a report from South Korea's central bank showed Friday.

North Korea's total fertility rate -- the average number of children that are expected to be born to a woman over her lifetime -- is estimated to have reached 1.38 in the 2010s, down from 1.59 in the 2000s and 1.91 from the 1990s, according to the report by the Economic Research Institute at the Bank of Korea (BOK).

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(LEAD) N. Korean leader calls for stepped-up war preparations

SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for stepped-up efforts to prepare for war, saying the United States is engaged in "unprecedented" acts of confrontation against the country, state media reported Thursday.

In the second-day session of the plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party on Wednesday, Kim also presented a goal of strengthening strategic cooperation with "anti-imperialist" countries, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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(LEAD) N. Korea convenes year-end party meeting with leader Kim in attendance

SEOUL -- North Korea has convened a key year-end meeting of the ruling Workers' Party with leader Kim Jong-un in attendance to discuss next year's policy direction, Pyongyang's state media said Wednesday.

Kim presided over the plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea the previous day to review state policies for this year and discuss those for 2024, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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N. Korea highlights economic feats ahead of plenary meeting

SEOUL -- North Korean state media outlets on Tuesday ran articles on recent economic and industrial developments in what appeared to be efforts to highlight the country's economic accomplishments this year ahead of a key party meeting expected to take place this week.

The North's state media earlier reported the country will convene the ninth plenary meeting of the eighth central committee of the ruling Workers' Party late in December to review this year's state policies and set policy goals for next year. It did not elaborate on when the meeting would be held.

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