Top North Korean figures gather for rare meeting

• North Korean leader Kim Jong Un convened a high-level meeting of the Workers' Party's Central Committee on Tuesday to prepare for the party's first full congress in five years.
• The plenary session discussed unspecified key issues for the upcoming congress, expected in January or February, and reviewed this year's state policies.
• This significant gathering takes place as both the United States and South Korea are attempting to resume diplomatic talks with Pyongyang, which have been rebuffed since 2019.
• International observers will be watching the congress for any indication from Kim Jong Un regarding a response to Washington and Seoul's efforts to improve ties.
• Kim previously suggested a return to talks if the US abandons its “delusional obsession with denuclearisation”, while South Korea reported North Korean artillery fire on Tuesday.

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Kim Jong Un gathers North Korea’s ruling elite for key party meeting