N.Korea’s Kim calls for improving people’s lives amid ‘grim’ economy

SEOUL, Oct 11 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged officials to focus on improving citizens’ lives in the face of a “grim” economic situation, state media reported on Monday, as he marked the anniversary of the country’s ruling party.

North Korea’s economy has been battered by years of sanctions over its nuclear and weapons programmes, and heavy rains and floods have also taken a toll.

The country’s most vulnerable risk starvation after it slipped deeper into self-imposed isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the worsening humanitarian situation could turn into a crisis, a U.N. rights investigator said in report seen by Reuters last week.

The country faces “huge tasks for adjusting and developing the state economy” and accomplishing the economic goals established in recent party and government meetings, Kim said in a speech, according to state news agency KCNA.

“The only way for dynamically pushing forward the unprecedented crucial work despite grim situation is for the entire Party to get united,” he added.