Kim Jong-un, North Korea's leader, has made more mentions of tractor factories and school uniforms than nuclear weapons or the United States as a result of his 10th year in power.
North Korea s main goals for 2022 will be to jumpstart economic development and improve people's lives as it faces a great life and death struggle, said a meeting of the ruling party's central committee on Friday.
The meeting coincided with the 10th anniversary of Kim taking over the country after the death of his father in 2011.
Kim has had several speeches around the new year to make major policy announcements, including launching significant diplomatic engagements with South Korea and the US.
But summaries of his speech in North Korean state media made no mention of the US, with only a passing reference to unspecified discussions of inter-Korean relations and external affairs. The domestic focus of the speech highlighted the economic crises Kim faces at home, where self-imposed anti-pandemic border lockdowns have left North Korea more isolated than ever before.
The main tasks of the part and the people next year are to provide a firm guarantee for implementing the five-year plan and make remarkable changes in the national development and the people's living, Kim was quoted as saying.
Kim spoke about domestic issues, from an ambitious plan for rural development to people's diets, school uniforms and the need to crack down on non-socialist practices. He cited unspecified military advancements as a major achievement of the past year and discussed militant tasks facing national defence in 2022. Foreign analysts said that North Korea has expanded its arsenal despite the lockdowns, because the tractor factory he discussed in the speech is likely to be used to build launch vehicles for missiles.
Chad O Carroll, founder of NK News, said the focus on rural development is likely to be a populist strategy.
He wrote on Twitter that Kim might be aware that revealing sophisticated military development plans may not be a good idea this year, because people are suffering food shortages and harsh conditions outside of Pyongyang.