Kim opens North Korean congress by admitting policy failures

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, a ruling party congress is held in Pyongyang, North Korea Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un opened its first Workers’ Party Congress in five years with an admission of policy failures and a vow to lay out new developmental goals, state media reported Wednesday. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a ruling party congress in Pyongyang, North Korea Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. Kim opened its first Workers’ Party Congress in five years with an admission of policy failures and a vow to lay out new developmental goals, state media reported Wednesday. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, a ruling party congress is held in Pyongyang, North Korea Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un opened its first Workers’ Party Congress in five years with an admission of policy failures and a vow to lay out new developmental goals, state media reported Wednesday. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, attends a ruling party congress in Pyongyang, North Korea Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. Kim opened its first Workers’ Party Congress in five years with an admission of policy failures and a vow to lay out new developmental goals, state media reported Wednesday. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

People walk by a TV screen showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a ruling party congress, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Kim opened his country's first ruling party congress in five years with an admission of policy failures and a vow to set new developmental goals, state media reported Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a ruling party congress in Pyongyang, North Korea Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. Kim opened its first Workers’ Party Congress in five years with an admission of policy failures and a vow to lay out new developmental goals, state media reported Wednesday. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

People watch a TV screen showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a ruling party congress, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Kim opened his country's first ruling party congress in five years with an admission of policy failures and a vow to set new developmental goals, state media reported Wednesday. The sign reads "New goals and tasks to be confirmed." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

People watch a TV screen showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a ruling party congress, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Kim opened his country's first ruling party congress in five years with an admission of policy failures and a vow to set new developmental goals, state media reported Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a ruling party congress in Pyongyang, North Korea Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. Kim opened its first Workers’ Party Congress in five years with an admission of policy failures and a vow to lay out new developmental goals, state media reported Wednesday. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)