(LEAD) N. Korea working on draft resolution for year-end party plenary meeting

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in paras 6, 7, 9, 10; CHANGES photos)

SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has discussed policy goals for 2023 to draw up a draft resolution expected to be adopted at the close of an ongoing plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), according to state media Friday.

During the fourth-day session of the WPK central committee's enlarged plenary meeting Thursday, participants held sectoral discussions to map out measures to implement "important tasks" set forth by the North's leader Kim Jong-un, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Participants held "sincere discussions to establish in scientific, progressive and realistic ways the struggle plan for 2023," the KCNA said in an English dispatch.

This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Dec. 30, 2022, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) speaking with key party officials as the country held a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

Discussions included key goals for increasing production in the economic sector, improving people's living standards, and building a socialist culture for next year, it added.

Details of such discussions are expected to be made public through a resolution that would be adopted at the close of the WPK's meeting. The document could include the North's foreign policy line and stance on inter-Korean relations for the new year.

One of photos carried by the KCNA shows the North's leader holding a group meeting with key five officials, including Jo Yong-won, the party secretary for organizational affairs, and Premier Kim Tok-hun.

North Korea kicked off the WPK's plenary meeting Monday to review this year's achievements and discuss major tasks for 2023. On the second day of its session, Kim presented new goals for the strengthening of the country's military power next year in an indication that the regime will continue to conduct weapons tests in the new year.

The North's leader could use the ongoing meeting as a venue to deliver a major speech to replace his annual New Year's Day address.

Seoul's unification ministry said North Korea may release the outcome of the party meeting Saturday or Sunday in light of its previous announcement patterns following its year-end plenary meetings in 2019 and 2021.

"The North may make public (Kim Jong-un's) announcements replacing his New Year's Day speech tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. But the government will watch the North's move (without prejudgment)," Lee Hyo-jung, deputy spokesperson of Seoul's unification ministry, said at a regular press briefing.