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North Korea Starts Key Meeting but Offers No Details on 'New Way'

William Gallo

   SEOUL - North Korea began a closelywatched ruling party meeting led by
   Kim Jong Un, state media reported Sunday, amid signs Pyongyang is set
   to announce a firmer stance toward the United States.
   Kim is widely expected in the next week to announce the details of his
   "new way" for North Korea, following the expiration of its self-imposed
   end-of-year deadline for the U.S. to offer a better proposal in stalled
   nuclear talks.
   State media coverage of the Workers' Party of Korea meeting offered few
   hints about the country's direction.
   The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) mentioned an "anti-imperialist"
   stance and the building up of national defense but gave no other
   details.
   "The plenary meeting goes on," KCNA said, apparently indicating a
   multiday meeting.
   Talks boycotted

   North Korea has boycotted nuclear talks for months and recently
   threatened to resume long-range missile and nuclear tests. An official
   said earlier this month that denuclearizationwas off the negotiating
   table.
   Those threats--mostly madeby lower-level officials--were widely seen as
   an attempt to increase pressure on the U.S. ahead of North Korea's
   deadline.

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