Kim Jong Un addresses the near universal failure of his five-year economic plan

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un is acknowledging failures on nearly every front of his five-year economic plan for his country.

Kim spoke Wednesday at a gathering of the Workers' Party, an event that has essentially not taken place since 2016, when the economic plan was first presented.

"The strategy was due last year but it tremendously fell short of goals on almost every sector," said Kim during his opening remarks at the gathering. He was accompanied by top aides, including sister Kim Yo Jong. 

At the 2016 meeting, Kim expressed a desire to strengthen the country's economy by developing domestic sources of energy and nuclear power. He pitched a policy – the "byungjin policy" – that would allow the country to develop its economy and nuclear weapons arsenal simultaneously. 

At this year's meeting, Kim is expected to announce a follow-up five-year economic development plan, in addition to announcing changes to top government official appointments and addressing the country's relationship with its neighbor's to the south. 

Kim saluted his party officials for effectively creating "table situations against the coronavirus from beginning to end."

"They had resolutely overcome difficulties in the face of an unprecedentedly prolonged, unparalleled global health crisis," said the North Korean leader to a room of mask-less participants. North Korea's economy has also suffered because of natural disasters this past summer and the economic sanctions impose by the U.S. and other for the country's pursuit of a nuclear weapon.

North Korea has not officially confirmed a single case of the novel coronavirus to the World Health Organization, though thousands of suspected cases have been reported.