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| ▲ This photo of the 12th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly, held Jan. 22-23, 2025, is published by the Korean Central News Agency. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap) |
N Korea-parliamentary meeting
N. Korea's parliamentary meeting affirms budget for stronger defense, skips U.S. message
SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has concluded a two-day parliamentary meeting, affirming state spending for a stronger national defense, but no message was issued toward the new Donald Trump administration, according to state media Friday.
Seven items were presented at the 12th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Wednesday and Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
They included the implementation of the 2024 state budget, the 2025 state budget, a revision of some provisions of the Socialist Constitution and an organizational matter, the KCNA said.
The KCNA reported Premier Pak Thae-song; Choe Ryong-hae, chairman of the SPA standing committee; and other high-ranking officials attended the meeting, without mentioning North Korean leader Kim Jong-un among the attendees.
The meeting had been widely watched to see whether Kim would deliver any message toward the United States, as the inauguration of the Donald Trump administration has raised speculation about the resumption of talks between them.
The session acknowledged that the 2025 state budget was designed to support a five-year economic development plan by "concentrating the investment on accelerating the significant changes in the national defense capabilities," according to the report.
Finance Minister Ri Myong-guk reported during the meeting that North Korea has allocated 15.7 percent of the 2025 state budget for national defense, a slight fall from last year's 15.9 percent.
The SPA meeting functions as a regular parliamentary session in other countries, addressing constitutional or legal enactments and revisions, as well as government personnel decisions.
The SPA is the highest legislative organ in North Korea, but in reality, it merely rubber-stamps decisions made by the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.
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