(LEAD) NK leader-agriculture

(ATTN: ADDS photos, more info at bottom)

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has emphasized the importance of agriculture and pledged to improve living standards in rural areas, state media said Tuesday.

Kim spoke on Monday during a photo session with participants in the 10th Congress of the Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea (UAWK), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

Ha praised the workers for boosting grain production and stressed the party "remains unshakable in its plan and decision to make the faithful agricultural workers enjoy the benefits of ideal society, highly civilized and prosperous, earlier than anyone else."

He also called on the union to "play the role of the ideological agitator and vanguard that accelerates the rural development," describing it as the union's "primary duty."

The congress, held in Pyongyang from Friday to Saturday, marked the union's 80th founding anniversary, and took place in the first year of implementing the policy direction set at the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPA) in February.

The UAWK is one of North Korea's four major workers' unions, alongside the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea, the Socialist Women's Union of Korea and the Socialist Patriotic Youth League.

Pyongyang has convened these party-affiliated organizations to review how the party policies are being carried out.

The Socialist Patriotic Youth League held its congress in April, followed by the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea in June and the Socialist Women's Union of Korea in July.

(END)

[Copyright ⓒ K-VIBE. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution are prohibited.]