Facing Economic Woes, North Korea Admits Failure, Mulls Future

North Korea has opened a major, multi-day political gathering in the capital, Pyongyang, with leader Kim Jong Un using the forum to acknowledge recent economic failures. Addressing thousands of tightly packed delegates at an auditorium in Pyongyang, Kim admitted his country had not reached the goals set out in an economic plan for the five-year period that just expired. "The goals we set were immensely underachieved in almost all areas," Kim said in an opening speech at the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party, according to state media. The last five years, Kim said, were "unprecedented" and "the worst of the worst" for North Korea. In response, he said the country should "strengthen...