Kim Jong Un cautiously optimistic in New Year’s speech

A news program in Seoul, South Korea, showing the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s New Year’s speech on Friday.

“We must create a turnaround in economic development”, he said, stressing the need to improve production and efficiency in a range of sectors from energy to agriculture, livestock and fisheries.

The death earlier this week of Pyongyang’s point man on ties with Seoul had raised some speculation that Mr. Kim might signal a more hawkish inter-Korean policy, but he said he wanted to restart stalled talks.

North Korea watchers are now closely watching a ruling party congress due in May, the first since 1980, for further indications about the policy course of Mr. Kim.

South Korea’s authorities have gone against the tide of improving relations, Kim said, adding that Seoul has made a case for a regime change and unilateral unification, which has in turn increased mistrust and conflict between the two countries.

No audience was shown although the address was regularly interrupted by what appeared to be canned applause.

The last three officials who were killed in auto crashes all died under the reign of Mr Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il.

There is little public information about the inner workings and policy goals of North Korea’s government, which considers democratic South Korea and its ally the United States its enemies, and is pursuing a long-range missile that could carry a nuclear warhead to America’s mainland.

North Korean spy chief Kim Yang Gon gets in a vehicle upon his arrival at the transit office near the truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas in Paju, north of Seoul, in this file picture taken November 29, 2007.

One South Korean analyst said there was no evidence of foul play in the death but it could not be ruled out.

During those meetings, North Korean representatives insisted on discussing only the resumption of the Kumgangsan tourist venture, a special region in North Korea for South Korean tourists, which has been a cash cow for the regime. His message was instead conveyed in the form of an editorial in North Korea’s major newspapers.

Top official Choe Ryong Hae, who had been absent from state media since late October and was rumored to have been in internal exile, was listed as a member of the funeral committee.

And there is a stark urban-rural divide in living standards, with malnutrition still a serious problem in the countryside.