The relationship between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump has been surprisingly cordial and positive since March 2018.

The lawmakers’ failure to pass a number of highly sensitive laws in 2019 has revived discussions around reforming legislative rules.

A clear indication of Pyongyang’s interest in the U.S.-Iran confrontation is that its tightly-controlled news media has been unusually quiet on the topic.

Across the ideological spectrum, political parties are focused on securing the youth vote ahead of the crucial legislative elections in April.

The report from the party plenum also suggests that the regime’s frustration stems from the fact that sanctions are having material effect.

In lieu of a New Year’s speech, Kim Jong -un convened an unusual plenum of the Central Committee and issuing a widely-distributed Report on the meeting.