North Korea’s ruling Workers Party of Korea (WPK) on Saturday began a long-awaited plenary session of its Central Committee, state media reported on Sunday, in a meeting reportedly intended to lay out a new “transparent anti-imperialist independent stand” for the country in the face of stalled talks with the U.S.

The weekend’s 5th Plenary Session was convened by and presided over by leader Kim Jong Un and attended by top officials, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, and follows weeks of speculation as to when the meeting would actually take place.

Details of the first day’s proceedings remain thin, with state